The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-11-21
Intimate They May Consolidate
in Near Future.
Agree on "Fighting Basis" fOr
Labor Legislation.
O-HOUU DAY FOR ALL CLASSES
ssIf Not PeaceabIy, Then we
Will Fight for It."
Trainmen Leaders Address
American Federation Labor.

Baltimore. Nov. 21.-Affiliation OF
the members of the American Federa-
ton of Labor and the four big railroad
brotherhoods for effecting the general
betterment of labor was urged To-Day
before the federation convention mere
by the brotherhood heads and Presl-
dent Samuel A. Gompers. Delegates
who crowded the hall cheered all the
speakers enthusiastically I'VE must
hang together or We VIII hahS sepa-
rately," w. G.. Lee, spokesman Tor the
brothehoods and head OF the railway
trainmen, declared.
''It is a great comfort to know,
President Gompers said, that the time
is not far distant when the great
brotherhoods will be part or the
American Federation of Labor
Lee explained that the laws OF the
brotherhoods now prevent an official
affiliation with the federation until
after their convention is held, but he
insisted that between now and that
time the organizations could cooper
ate with the same purpose as if they
were officially affiliated. He also
made 1t plain that the brotherhoods
were not bringing their eight-hour day
troubles to the federation for support.
Will Fight for Eight-Hour Law.
Il am about anarchist enough, how
ever" he said, Ito say that we are
going to work for the eight-hour day
for all classes. If we can't get it
peaceably, we will fight for it
Lee said that some sort of affilia
tion should be effected to fight any
proposed arbitration legislation which
might be unfair to labor. President
Wilson plans such legislation, he said,
and It should be carefully watched. He
declared that the congress had no
right to pass any law compelling a
man to work, provided he was not in
prison. if he did not want to, and he
did not think it would do So
Prolonged cheering followed praise
of President Wilson by Mr. Lee
1T took more courage for him to
write across the front pages of the
newspapers of this country that he was
for an S-hour working day than it
would have taken for him to have
written that this country was at war
with Mexico" he said.
our principal object now is to help
the president and the men in both
branches of congress to make good
their promises to us 1 believe they
will do it."
Mr.. Lee declared failure of the
brotherhoods and the federation to af-
filiation before now has not been
wholly the fault of either side
Near AffiIiation Today.
We are nearer affiliation today
than we ever have been before he
said.
we shall go the limit to obtain bet
ter conditions, particularly for the
men on the railroads that the com
pany will not permit to organize we
Will not strike nor go out to help
them, but we will use our best efforts
to obtain better conditions for them"
Mr.. Lee paid his respects to the
wall street crowd" and declared
that now an election had been without
the assistance of New York. Indiana
or Illinois, labor should not fail to re-
tain its power thus gained. Mr.. Lee
also reviewed the conferences which
led to the enactment of the Adamson
S-hour law last September and dharg-
ed the railroad heads with playing un-
fairly with the president at that time.
The hrotherhoods he declared. had no
desire that the Adamson bill be enact
cd into law. but in as much as it had
become law. they were trying to live
up to it.
Immediately after the close of Com
pers speech the brotherhood heads left
the hall