Denver labor bulletin., 1915-04-24
Gompers Clues Scope of Action
CoueredBy American Federation
Interesting Chapter of Testimony Submitted United States
Commission Industrial Relations Tells Facts About
the American Trade Union Mouement and A.F OIL

which two-thirds of the votes are cast
for revocation OF charter or expulsion OF
the organization. The moral force OF
the 4 +. OF l.. is the most effective in
fluence or power it has in dealing with
allied organizations.
Appeals to Workers Intellect.
The experiences of the men in our
movement have shown one fact stand
ing out in bold relief: that every move
ment of workingmen which had sys-
TEN OF government by which power,
! force, or compulsion was exercised
aroused resentment, reputation, and
dissolution. while on the contrary an ef-
fort which was controlled by exerting
moral force upon the doings of men ana
women has always exercised benefi-
cent influence. In other words, working.
men are just human beings When men
and women are told they must do some
thing at the peril of their organized eN
istenee or their personal existence there
Is always aroused in them n spirit to
say, Il shall try to do the very opposite
to that which YOU have commanded me
to do" II the better Judgment and the
better feeling OF men are appealed to
they are more ready to do and willing to
do the best that they can. No member
Of any organization has the right to
force another to take any certain action,
aud no trade union has the right to force
member to 20 on strike. The sole
/ force that any organization has is moral.
The executive council Of the A. r. of
l. j. an administrative committee for
the purpose of carrying into effect the
conclusions reached by the conventions,
and 10 take initiative in any matter.
/ particularly legislative. upon which the
] convention has not had an opportunity
/ to express itself. to be helpful in any
and every way7to any activity contrib
I uting To the protection, benefit and vel
/ fare OF the people, particularly the
I wage-earners. The powers Of the excel
/ tive council are set forth in the cousti.
/ tuition.
No Padding of Membership.
In the report OF the executive council
\ submitted to the Seattle convention Of
/ the A. p. Of J. last November was In
I corporated the report Of the secretary ot
/ the Federation. Mr.. Frank Morrison His
/ report is based upon those made to his
/ office by the affiliated orga anizations,
! giving the membership upon which the
q organizations pay per capita taxes for
their respective organizations. The af
I filiated membership for the year 1919
] hutsn shE. MhTft-on reported ana Ac-
counted for was .9a6. .OO4 ] ought to
/ explain that We aim to avoid the prac-
/ tiee Of padding the membership OF any
organization for the las; mouth preeeSi
I ing the convention in order to increase
I the voting power of the delegates Of the
organization. In order TO prevent this
practice. ia lsa5 the convention deter
mined that representation should not hc
based upon the months payment pre-
vious TO the convention. but upon the
average payment OF the organization
/ during the year.
A chart which was prepared for the
I last convention contains the membership
of the organizations affiliated to tho
I A. =. OF l.. from the date of tbs forma-
] ticn OF the Federation in lssl up TO and
including 1918. You will observe in the
chart that the membership in 1851 was
small; that the growth up to 1899 was
very -low: that the membership wa,
then practically stationary up to ls9s;
that in $500 there was a slight growth;
| that in 1900 there was a still greater
| growth which continued until 1904. when
there was recession. The report for
1904 was based upon the years 1908 anc
1904 and shows the result of the indus.
trial stagnation which existed at that
time. You will observe also that n,
times there has been a rcression or
fall IN the membership OF the affiliated
organizations, hut that as a rule the
membership substantially never rccedci
back to the former total. There was
constant continual growth until Septem.
Der 80. 1919. the date for which the
chart was made. at which time the mem
bcrship upon which per capita tax wa.
paid to the \. r. of l.. was 2.05i.5oG
There has been an increase in member.
ship since then.
Composed of Men and Women.
Another chart submitted in the same
report illustrates the relationship OF the
various affiliated organizations TO the
n +. of l.. This chart shows that the
integral part, the key. the heart Of the
Federation is the national or intarnn-
tional union. The sovereign national
and international unions are the primary
elements. The five departments were
created for the mutual protection. the
advancement of the individual trades or
callings OF the industries interested in
the departments. On this map are rep
resented tho ~ state fedentions of Ia
Dor. the 639 local trade and federal la
Dor unions. the Cpl city cen,rai bodies.
the 3lI local councils-that is. of the
trades primarily represented in the de-
partments- and the 2n,0i6 local trade
unions. The chart as made up illus.
trates the ligamcnts. the heartstring-.
we might say. of the Federation. The
membership of the organizations affi-
lated to the A. +. of l.. is composed
of adults. chiefly men, but there arc
some women. II you allow five to