Evening star., 1912-07-15
DEFENDS THE UNION
Gompers Declares It Friend of
Unorganized Worker.
HITS AVERAGE EMPLOYER
American Heartless in Greed, Says
Labor Chief-Refers to
Jail Sentence.

"Organized. labor is the guide, mentor
and friend of unorganized labor. all testi-
mony to the contrary Notwithstanding.
American production is bent upon
quantity. with general disregard to quail
ity.
THE employer in the United States
ployer in the world in his aim to sup
press the aspirations of the employed
most cold -blooded and most heartless
in the pursuit Of his own greed
The foregoing were declarations made
by Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation Of Labor. in>his well
coming address this morning before the
International Steel and Copper Plate
Printers Union of North America, meet
ing In twentieth annual convention In the
Ebbitt House.
one Of the best labor organized cities Of
the United States, despite the fact that it
is not an industrial community. He de-
clared that the cause of labor had made
progress, despite the most determined op-
position, in advancing wages, in shorten
ing hours of labor, and in. producing bet
ter conditions of labor for women and
children which provided them with duties
in the home and opportunity for recrea-
ton and educational advancement.
Plate Printers Problems.
Discussing the problems Of the plate
printers in the bureau of engraving and
printing, Mr.. Gompers asserted the doc
trines that trade competition has no
place in government consideration of
production, and that money, badly made
by power presses would only affect the
lower denominations of bills, such as
- l.. <t,4
classes. incompetent to detect counter
feits.
Bills Of smaller denomination. handled
by people not expert in handling money.
in the opinion of Mr.. Gompers. should
be freer from the possibility Of counter
feiting, made possible by the inferior
work Of power presses. than big bills.
He said that there was no thought OF
printing bills of twenty-dollar, f1fty-dol-
lar. observation-disclosures and one-thousand-
Refers to Sentences.
Bringing before the convention the pros
pect of jail service confronting himself.
Frank Morrison. secretary. and John
Mitchell, vice president Of the American
Federation of Labor, Mr.. Gompers paid
compliment to the court that it had
chosen for the object of prosecution men
prominent in the labor world, whose cases
would attract attention.
He does not want to go to Jail. he
admitted, nor did he suppose that Mr..
Morrison or Mr.. Mitchell had banker
ings for such seclusion from society.
but he said the labor movement would
proceed, more determined than ever, to
advance. because Of any punishment in
ffcted upon it's leaders.
He expressed his sympathy for the labor
man without influence whose activities
got him Jail sentence. Such methods.
he was certain. were not calculated to ef-
feet the muzzling Of the labor spokesn1en
or prove effective obstacles to progress in
the movement.
Considering the cause Of unorganized la
Dor. Mr.. Gompers commented on the fact
that wage earners in failing to organize
were actuated sometimes by timidity and
sometimes by the hope to advance their
own particular interests, but that all OF
them hoped for the success Of organized
labor, and when in trouble looked to the
union men for help, advice and encour-
agement.
The convention was called to order at
IL o'clock in the red parlor Of the Eb-
bitt House. Charles T. Smith, secre-
tary and treasurer in the absence of
the president. Thomas ONeill Of New
York. presided
The morning was given over to ora
tory. Mr.. Gompers, Frank Morrison and
John P. Colpoys. editor OF the Trades
Unionist, were the speakers.