Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-11-13
ORGANIZED LABORS
GREATEST TRIUMPH
During Past Year Was Passage
of Clayton Trust Bill-An-
nual Report of American Fed
eration's Executive Council.

as organized labor's greatest single ac
complishment for the last year, the
Executive Council of the American
Federation of Labor presented its an
nual report today to the Thirty fourth
convention of the Federation here. The
voluminous document covers every
question which has affected labor dur
ing the year, including the European
war.
OF the Clayton bill the councils
statement says that it contains the
MOST fundamental the most compre-
hensive enunciation of industrial free
dom, found in any legislative act in
the history of the world" and that it
was obtained through the organized
economic power" represented by the
workers of the United States.
Discussing economic organization as
the keynote of the Federation's
thought and effort, the council ex-
pressed pride in the report of the pro-
gress transmitted at time when most
of the civilized countries are sub
merged by a world wide war while in
the United States ION every hand the
workers are insisting upon the mainte-
nance of organization and resistance
to deterioration of present working
conditions" "Organized labor" it adds.
has assisted the effort to mitigate the
industrial disorganization and losses
eptailed by the European war"
Before the war" 1t continues, the
thought and effort of civilization were
centered upon the development and
glorification of human life. One life
was counted of infinite value. But
since the cataclysm that brought war
between the nations, men are treated
as only military pawns. Things are
valued for their ife-destroying pow
er. Guns are worth more than men"
The war is said to be the product of
artificial conditions and policies and
repugnant to the thought and political
cal progress of the age; but so far we
have made little progress in providing
agencies for organizing international
relations to maintain peace and JUS
tice. The war has shown that war
cannot be stopped by resolutions and
that war cannot put an end to itself.
War will cease only when society is
convinced that human life is really sa-
cred and when society establishes
agencies. international as well as ma
tional for protecting lives"
Summing up steps that may be taxi
en- toward the adjustment of war, the
report continues:
"Militarism and competitive arma-
ment must be abolished and tribunals
for awarding justice and agencies for
enforcement determinations must be
instituted. international interests and
issues exist. Political institutions
should be established corresponding
to political Developments. Those most
interested should lead in demands for
world federation and the rule of rea-
son between nations.
1.-THE working people of all lands bear
the brunt of war. They do the fight
ing. pay the war taxes, suffer most
from the disorganization of industry
and commerce which results from
war"
Turning to the Mexican situation
the report makes public a letter from
President Gompers to Rafael Zubaran,
United States Representative, Next
can Constitutionalsts," dated July IA,
of this year, saying the Federation,
more than any other American agency
except the government of the United
States, aided the success of the pros
pective government" and urges the
withdrawal of the avowed declaration
of those who speak or assume to
speak in the name of General Carran-
"a" that 'retribution of the most dra-
CONAN character" would be visited up
on those responsible for the overthrow
of Madero. Such a withdrawal, the
letter added. would have a tranquiliz-
ing effect and tend ito unite the peo-
pie of Mexico in support of an orderly
government"
The report adds: I'VE extend to the
people of Mexico under this new re-
gime our Fluctuations and our best
hopes for their welfare and progress"
Lengthy presentations were made of
conditions in mining fields in West
Virginia, Colorado, Michigan and Mon
tana, including much of the CORES
pondence exchanged between opera
tors, employees and officials of the
federal and state governments. Sum-
ming up the general situation the re-
port says:
THE various different movements of
the miners for improved conditions
have been more conspicuous this past
year than those of any other organiza-
ton. This is due to the intensity with
which the struggles have been waged,
amounting in each instance practically
to civil war; to the number of human
beings to whom the struggle meant
privation, suffering and losses
Land holding conditions involved in
some mining districts have enabled
the operators to establish what
amounts to a feudal operating system
for the mines. They own vast tracts
of lands, hundreds and even thousands
of square miles in extent on which the
mines are located. The mining compa-
MES own and therefore control all
roads that traverse the land. They own
the houses in which the miners live;
the villages made up of these miners;
the school houses to which their chill
dren must go for mental training; the
churches which minister to their spir-
itual needs the stores from which they
buy their clothing, food and other ne
cessities; the postoffices where they
get their mail, money orders and con-
duct their crude banking transactions
Every detail of mining life is under
supervision of the mine operators
through their power of ownership. In