The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-11-20
USE CRIMINAL LAW TO
END PAPER FAMINE
Federation Resolution Calls on
Federal Authorities for
Prompt Action.

BALTIMORE, Nov. 20.-The Ameri.
can Federation Of Labor has finished
the business OF being entertained and
today the real business OF the con.
vention began.
Most Of the Federation's work
lies before IL, to be completed by
| next Saturday That means that
majority OF the 100 resolutionse in.
troduced must be reported upon by
committees; that the important ones
must undergo lengthy and perhaps
heated discussions upon the conven-
tion floor, and that the Federation
must commit or refuse to commit IL.
self upon the principles the resolu-
lions propose, all in six days.
The resolutions committee, headed
by James Duncan, first vice prest.
dent of the Federation, is ready to
report favorably a resolution offered
by delegates representing the inter
national unions of printers, pressmen
and their assistants. stereotypers and
electrotypers, photo.engravers and
bookbinders. proposing the longest
step yet taken by labor organizations
70 end the situation caused by the
high cost of white paper.
Would Invoke Criminal Law.
To the extent that It advocates
Immediate Federal grand Jury in.
quiries In the larger cities with the
Idea OF imposing penitentiary sent.
| ences upon those responsible for the
white paper faminine, the resolution
resembles In principle the stand taken
by Max Hayes, leader OF the Reds"
IN the convention, upon the resolu-
tion proposing Federal investigar
tion OF the high cost of living.
IL declares in effect that there has
been enough investigating and that
the time has come for invoking the
criminal law.
That principle was repudiated
when the federation adopted last
week the proposal for Federal high
| cost OF living commission. The same
principle will probably be accepted
by the adoption OF the white paper
resolution.
The resolution declares that the
| facts obtained by the Federal Trades
Commission show that the price OF
news print paper has advanced be.
yund all reason, considering the cost
or manufacture, Thereby Indicating
the existence of an illegal conspiracy
TO control prices and to extort iilegiti.
mate profits for jobbers and manufac.
turers."
Calls for Action.
II also points out that the lack OF
criminal prosecutions has been due to
the fact that newspaper publishers
and commercial printers are reluctant
| to volunteer evidence"
IL instructs the executive council
or the federation to take the neces.
sary steps ito obtain action by the
Federal Trades Commission and the
Department of Justice"
resolution Endorsed by the iii.
nois state Federation sees danger in
conditions In warning countries where
trades hitherto supplied by men are
being flled with underpald women,
| "unorganfZed and voteiesa."
we forescc at the close OF the
war" says the resolution, when men
| return asking back their Jobs, grave
danger that these exploited women
Will be used to lower the wages OF
men as well, permanently and every.
where, thus causing the hard.won re
suits OF previous years OF organiza.
| tion to be lost to the workers"
The federation also will be asked
to record Its opposition to Govern
| ment censorship Of motion pictures,
and antagonism to the Boy Scout
movement is seen by some delegates
in the resolution providing for n avs.
tenn OF boys clubs to train BOYS in
"the fundamental principles of trades
unionlsm" as "a worthy substitute
for previous efforts which tend toward
! militarism."
New York Car Men Begin Fight.
With the arrival OF w. b. Fitzger.
aid, who led the New York street car
men In the fght for union recognition,
II Is being noised among the delegates
Frank Morrison's reelection is basel
upon the way the street railway
strike was handled in New York.
1t appears to have been the old
question as to what extent a trades
union shall stand alone, and when IL
! shall subject itself to the dictation OF
the whole Federation.
In the New York car strike all :he
talk OF a general walkout of zoe. 600
workers came to naught because some
| of the unions refused to be bound by
the General Labor Conference. The
| conference Is said to have been back
| ed up in It's general strike order by
| Secretary Morrison. and his opponents
| TO reelection are the men who believe
| the federation has not the right to
compel one affiliated body to abrogate
| Its contracts with employers simply
to help another afflliated body win a
| strike.
Strength In Bargains.
They claim that in the ability OF a
trades union to make a COLLECTIVE
bargain" with an employer lies the
| real strength OF trades unionism, and
they hold against Secretary Morrison
! the charge that he permitted Hugh
Frayne, general organizer of the fed
GRAFTON in New York, to threaten to
| abrogate all collective bargains" be-
| tween New York unions and employ
| ers merely because a collective bar
gain" could not be made on behalf OF
| the car men,"
While 1t Is said that Morrison's op.
ponents will not raise this issue in the
open, II is likely to be raised and
| fought out when a resolution is con
sidered urging affiliated unions not to
enter into agreements with employers
| that will bar them from a systematic
| strike. This was introduced by dele
gates from the painters and decora-
| tors union.
To Aid Vaudeville Performers.
The reported threat OF vaudeville
managers to clock out" all members
OF the White Rats Actors Union has
/ brought out a resolution by Delegates
William Fitzpatrick and Harry Mount
ford to bring to the actors assistance
| the whole strength OF the federation
| In enforcing their demands.
| There is another resolution calling
| for the withdrawal OF the White Rats
| charter and instructing President
| Gompers TO call a convention OF actors
to organize an international union OF
actors, to Include "movie" artists,
cabaret and club entertainers, Vaude-
VILE performers and the like. There
have already been fights against SINH.
lar proposals, and a fight Is expected