The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-20
LABOR MEN MEET
THIS AT TERNOON
Brown-Koiner Contest Causes
Sharp Controversy in
Union Ranks.
OPPOSITION TO IMMIGRATION
Union Men Want Chairman
Hirschbcrg to State His
Position.

Organized labor in Richmond will
come to n showdown this afternoon on
the Brown Koiner contest for tho posi- :
ton Of Commissioner OF Agriculture
and Immigration. While the unions
are opposed TO taking any stand that
savors OF going into politics" union
men generally are openly opposed TO
the Immigration policies OF tho pres
ent conmi ssioner. Mr.. koiner An In
tcresting sidclight is tile effort OF GER
tain labor men to smoke out Mr..
HirschberR. Il member of the Admins
trative Board. and president OF the
Central Trades and Labor Council. and
make him declare himself on the qucs-
ton of machine or antimachinc meth
DDS. the suggestion having been made
that the city cmployc vote Of Richmond
was being organized as cog in tho
state machine. TO be operated at a
word from Washington.
Committee Indorscd Brown.
About ten days ago the executive
committee Of the State Federation Of
Labor met In Richmond. The stated
purpose OF the meeting was to confer
with n committee from the State farm
ers organization in regard to cstab-
nShment Of a Joint weekly paper for
farmers and union men. While here
both committees passed resolutions
strongly commanding ]. Thompson
Brown, of Bedford County, for Com
missioner Of Agriculture in preference
10 the incumbent Mr.. koiner The
meeting was executive. and the reasons
ior the Endorsement were not made
public. but it is understood that the
labor men principally objected To the
Immigration policies of Mr.. Koiner. 1t
lH charged that n large proportion Of
the foreigners brought to Virginia as
farm hancs under the Koiner admins
'ration have promptly driftcd TO the
cities and entered into competition with
union labor.
Last Monday night n committee made
up OF representatives OF each of the
local unions appointed 10 prepare plans
Tor the Labor Day celebration met with
John H!rschberg. president OF the Cen
tral Trades and Labor Council and
member OF the Administrative Board.
as eX-ofcio chairman AS there are
twenty odd local unions in Richmond.
The committee Is large one. but 1t
is stated that only eight or ten men,
oers were present.
Talk of impeachment.
Members Of the Labor Day commit
tee present roundly denounced the ex-
ecut!ve committee OF the State FEEDER
alton Of Labor for its action in in
dorsing Mr.. Brown. There was much
talk OF impeachment" proceedings
against the committee for putting
the organization in politics" The
upshot was the adoption or resolu-
ton requesting Chairman Hirschberg
10 call meeting OF the Central Trades
and Labor Council OF Richmond which
body is large constituent part Of the
state Federation OF Labor, for th!e
afternoon. Mr.. Hirschberg was also
requested to summon by letter or tcle-
graph the members of the executive
committee OF the State Federation OF
Labor 10 be present TO defend their
action and to show cause why proceed
!ngs should not be taken against them
The meeting Will be held this after
noon at 4:30 o'clock AT Labor Temple.
corner or Fifth and Marshall streets
1t has not been determined whether
II will open TO press representatives or
not, though men on both sides favor
an open meeting IN order that all the
facts may come out. II is understood
tina, the State Federation executive
committee will present statement OF
the reasons which led TO its action
In indorsing Mr. Brown. and the mem
bers OF the Labor Day committee may
be called on TO explain why they and
their chairman We're IN such hot haste
10 impcact the State executive commit
tee and 10 swing the labor vote 10 an
other candidate.