Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-11-17
eoMpERs BLOCKS SCHEME.
Beats an Innocent Looking Resolution
For Organization Plan.

Philadelphia Pa, Nov. IAN at
! tempt to place the American Fedora
ton of Labor in position of waginS
war against the big railroad brother
| hoods unless they became affiliated
with the federation was frustrated by
! Samuel Gompers, who took the floor
at Mondays session of the fed
eration's convention and fought an
J innocent-looking resolution back INTO
I the committee on organization, Whicn
+, had reported it favorably.
/, The resolution recited that a. the
| present time there were national ana
! local unions not affiliated with the
federation, that they were a menace
TO some of the unions, and that efforts
] to have them affiliate had failed. The
! resolution instructed the officers OF the
| fedora tion TO proceed to organize such
| local or national unions If such is pos
/ Sible."
/ J. 3. Connors, Of the SWitchmen's
I Union of North America, favored It's
adoption. giving as a reason that the
! brotherhoods had in some instances
assisted the railroads tc defeat the
/ sWitchmen in strikes.
| President Gompers gave it as his
! opinion that the resolution permitted
! the setting up of rival unions and de-
clared that it amounted to nothing else
! that a declarat ton of war. He believed
| in the solidarity of the labor move
ment in the United States. he contin-
ued bu, he would not for moment
think of invading the sovereignty Of a
national labor union.
| During the last few years, he went
y n better
feeling between the brotherhoods and
the federation with the result that the
railroad organizations had been of ma
| terial and effective assistance in get
ting certain labor legislation thru con-
gress. The adoption of the resolution
he declared, would be the most risas-
trous action against the existence OF
the federation the convention could
take.
President Walker. of the miners un'
ion. also opposed the resolution. The
railroad brotherhoods in Illinois, Presi.
dent Walker said, are strong for join
ing the Illinois Federation of Labor
and he expected they would do SO IN
short time.
A report made by committee which
Investigated municipal ownership o
| street railways III "hASAA ~
clared the municipal ownership hat
not done as much for the employees al
had trade unions, was challenged b.
Delegate Gallagher, Of San Francisco
as an erroneous conclusion. He sale
municipal ownership of street railway
in his city had done much for tn
street car men.
} Other speeches were made in favo
J of municipalization Of utilities as
| good thing for the wage Garner. Their
} were no speeches against 1t.
81 Adopted in Modified Form.
:! Philadelphia, Nov. ia resolution
j. which Samuel Gompers, president Q
the American Federation Of Labor, at
} tackled in the. convention yesterday a
) a declaration Of war on railroad broth
!, erhoods and other affiliated union.
} was adopted today in modified form.
) Instead OF instructing the executiv
!, council to organize unions In those or
Il ganizations which refused to affiiiat
: with the federation. the resolution wa
amended to instruct the executiv
5 council to 'invite and urge unaRiiiate
D national and international unions
D join the federation.