Arizona republican., 1915-11-23
TRepubiioan A. P. Leased wireI

N le American Eederauon of Labor, after an extensive battle that shook the convention for four hours, refused tonight by close vote to endorse state and federal legislation Cor the eight hour day. President Samuel Sompers ended the debate in an inn l,assioned speech in which he de- ciareS that the socialist party was heAlnd the movement to force the Federation to endorse the proposed eight hour day legislation.
 The convention adjourned in a tiff between President Gompers and del ,gaSe John Fitzpatrick of Chicago.
 Delegates of the United Mine Workers of America and the West ern Federation of Miners. the Inter- lationaI Association of NIachinists among the most powerful organiza- 7ioGs affiliated with the Federation, lnrecipitated the fight when an ad- l1linistration measure withholding Sanction of legislative attempts to Secnre the eight hour day was of fered to the convention for adoption hy the resolutions committee. The committee favored the use of eco- homie pressure only to obtain short CT hours.
 it was the committees report that finally prevailed by a vote of S.4S5 so 6.sa6 with many delegates absent. What appeared an overwhelming ma fority in favor of an amendment to fhe committees report gained after three hours debate marked by sharp s.aliies. melted away when President sionlpers left the chair and charged the socialist party witt having en- gineered the opposition lo the report.
 'It was the socialist party that made the first attempt to obtain the eight hour law by legislation de- clared President Gompers. -Tn chal- lenge any socialist on this floor to -saN the socialist party will stand be- hind the federation in securing eight hour laws
 They will shouted Wm H. John- si"n of Washington. D. C. president "r the machinists.
 And then oppose candidates pledged to obtain those laws Comp CTS shouted back.
 If some of you want it you can't force it down the throats of the rest Of us. I know what the enc mics of labor are made up of" he added
 Power is gravitating from the haIlot box to the industrial sfieId. That sravitation will go on I will not trust the fate of labor to pol ities
 T want congress to give us only ou1 freedom to fight out on an ec- onomic basis our battles. freedom to achieve I want the travail of sac rifiee and the tears of our women # necessary. upon which to build l@bor'S economic freedom.
 He said what e1egislation gives, it can take away
 Adolph Gernier. national executive committeeman of the socialist party and representative of the United Mine workers of America bore the brunt of. Gonpers attack Both he and Johns1on struggled for reeogni Sion when Gompers sat down perspir ing but were shouted down by cries for the question
 James Duncan vice president from Quincy. Mass. declared that the courts might use such a law to enforce eight hours of work.
 After the vote had been taken by roll call. John ]. Fitzpatrick told tho convention that it's action affected only 2.o0o.0e0 organized workers This produced difference of opinion between him and President Gompers. which ended in Gompers' refusal to read 10 the convention a communica- ton bv Fitzpatrick. who had taken an active part in the fight to amend the committees eight hour report
 Andrew Furuseth. father of the Saamen-s act denounced legislaticn for an eight hour day He ran to the center of the hall to answer Johnston when some one charged that he had employed it to shorten the hours of seamen.
 In its report refusing the fedora tion's sanction to eight hour law leg isl8tion. the resolutions committee and the convention nevertheless favored such legislation for women and children in accordance with previous policy.
 lt was upon this that the four hour fight was opened by J. A. Fay Tor of Seattle, who declared that with such laws in operation for wo- men but not for men, women would be shelved
 Hugo Ernst. san Francisco. said that the position of the Federation upon the question of eight hour laws Tor men defeated California's attempt to enact it last year.
 Bitterness cropped out several times in the recognition of delegates Thomas Van Lear of Minneapolis Minnesota. said he had been rlled from the floor last year in Philadel-
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