The chronicle=news., 1912-11-11


retury and treasurer Of tho American
the thirty-sccomd annual convention,
OF the organization In session here
today.
The report Of President samuel
GOmpcrs was u thorough and volun-
inous review OF the work OF tic or
ganization for the past year. par
iIculsrly with rcgad to logislatF Ton
endorsed and supported by the fcd-
cration. Discussing the growth OF the
federation. Mr.. Gompcrs' report set
forth that during the year ending
September 30. 1912. eco charles
wee Issued to labor organizations nf-
liiliating with the federation.
"The average membership report
cd and upon whom per capita tax
was paid by the affiliated organiza-
tions to the American Federation OF
Labor during the past year." said the
report. was l.77O.li5. an Increase
over the humber reported for 1911
which was l.1Gl.s35. On September
30, 1919. the membership Of the Rf-
filiated orRRnixstiO was l.x%l.26s."
Z President Gompcrs reported pro-
grcss In the organixati0n Of the In
| Itcrnxttonal labor movement In Can
uda. aud IN Porto Rico. In Canada he
reported II total membership OF from
60. 90" to .0.OO0 In the Trn'ics and
Labor Congress. and In Porto Rico he
declared iG0 unions had been organ
lied with 5000 members. Improved
working conditions were reported In
both Canada and Porto Rico.
Pcrsilcnt Gompcrs' report includ-
c,l statements from the iIuiiiing
Trades. Metal Trades. Mining. Rail
road employees. and Union Label
trades departments. showing the pro-
arc~s made by each department OF
the Federation during the year. In
the report was included u statement
by Albert J. Iscrrcs. sccrctary-ireaa-
urcr OF the metal trades department.
In which he said:
The Los Angeles strike contin-
ucd for n period covering more than
twenty .one months. Al the beginning
of the fight organization among the
workers Of tho city was In u dcplor-
able condition. Il is generally con-
ccticd by those who were on the
or workday would have been won.
had II not been for the dcplorablc
calamity In connection with the de-
struction Of the Los Angeles Times
building. Even with this handicap.
after the public declaration OF iabor's
position and attitude toward the nj
legged crime. there was still "a chance
Of winning. up to the time when the
guilt Of the McNamaras was csiab-
lishcd by their c0nfcssion. Then u
was recognized that there WAS no
chance Of winning the strike. or
pcrsuading the employers to make
concessions.
After discussing the visit Of Carl
Legion. secretary OF the Intcrnation-
al Sccrctarist. to the United States
last spring. Mr.. Gompcrs' report rcc-
Commended that the American fedora
ton send representative to the
meeting OF the Sccrctariat II one IL
held In 1913. and that. II no meeting
Is held In that year the federation
invite the sccrctnriat to meet at San
Franciseo In 1915. during the Panu-
ma Pacific Exposition. either immc-
dintcly before or Immediately FOL
lowing the convention OF the Amer
lean Federation.
The report highly recommended
tho Labor Forward Movement organ
izcd in Mincnsota FOR spreading the
union labor doctrines.
| Ennn,ru ltuctsunI NJ Ion Mt |,
the efforts OF the American Fedora
tion to organize workers In the steel
industry. lie outlined Rn extensive
campaign Of education among for
cigncrs working In the steel mills.
Reviewing the Legislative work Of
the year Mr.. Gompcrs set forth that
fifteen members OF trade unions af-
Inflated with the American Fedora
ton Of Labor had been elected to the
House Of Representatives. OF these
fifteen four are members OF the house
committee on labor. OF which Repre-
sentative Wilson OF Pennsylvania. a
union miner. is chairman. To the Ia
Dor members Of the house, Mr.. Com
Ipcrs gave much of the credit for the
passage Of u score OF bills endorsed
and urged by the Federation Of La
bor.
4 Among the measures mentioned In
the report were the eight hour law,
the children's bureau law. the law
creating an industrial relations COM
mission, law giving postal clerks
right OF hearing petition. and asso-
ciation. and the law prohibiting the
use of white phosphorus in the man
ufacturc OF matches.
Mr.. Gompcrs discussed fully the
lcxtension Of the eight hour law as
containcd in the various appropria-
ton bills for government work dur
ling the fiscal year. and in the spec
ial acts passed at the last session OF
lcongrcss.