The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-01-17
GOMPERS OPPOSED
TO GENERAL STRIKE
Asserts That He Urged Labor Leaders
Not to Attempt 1t at Time Of
Street Car Trouble.

Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation Of Labor, has
replied TO the charge Of Marsden
G. Scott. president Of the International
Tvpographical Union, that Gompers
had exceeded his authority in support
ing a general strike in New York
when the street ear men were out last
September, bv asserting that he not
onl,; did not favor the general strike.
but had urged the local labor leaders
not to attempt it. Mr.. Gompers did not
mention Mr.. Scott 3 name, but that
his remarks were meant as his answer
TO the president Of the Typographical
Union, whose statement appeared in
the morning papers, was generally ac-
copied in labor circles.
The remarks were made before the
convention of the Labor Publicity or
ganization, which was attended by
representatives of about fifty labor or
carnations in New York, New Jersey.
Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Mr..
Gompers made use Of the occasion to
emphasize what he considers the need
of a labor press, saying that his opin-
ion regarding the general strike had
been misreprcSented in many of the
New York daily newspapers.
During the recent car strike in
New York city, he said, "there were,
in some instances, fair reports in the
daily papers, but in many WAYS the
men on strike were placed in an unfair
position. Some of the papers, too, went
so far as to miSrepresent me hv de-
claring that ! advocated a genera
strike. At that time, as a general fact.
known 10 at least twenty-five men
whom ! met IN a conference in the
Hotel Continental, | insisted that a
general strike was impracticable and
ought not TO be undertaken. -
Mr.. Gompers came out unqualiiedlr
for a labor press OF group OF papers
and emphasized the Importance of hav-
ing any such medium of publicity con
trolled by the entire labor movement
and not by any clique in its own IN
tercst. In citing instances of what he
considered lahor's failGre to obtain
representation in the daily newspapers
he told of calling the Washington cor
respondents into his office recently anC
giving them "an important story
which he never saw in print. He at
tributed the non-appearance of tn,
story TO . lack OF knowledge OF tn.
news value Of labor story on the part
of the newspaper men.
Chester NJ. Wright, managing editor
of The New York Call. told the labor
ing men that they would obtain prope1
publicity only by organizing in theil
own interest for the purpose. lie sale
that, where the capitalists had thou
sands Of dollars with which TO obtalr
publicity. the laboring men had pen
MES, but that the laboring men could
"organizc their pennies" and make
their own publicity medium and sue
cessfully fight the capitalistic papers
Other speakers agreed as to the nee,
OF a labor press, and asked question:
and offered suggestions concerning til,
best means of obtaining labor publici
itv. These officers Of the convention
were elected at the morning session
President. Ernest Bobm of the Contra
Federated Union: vice president, vii
lard l.. Small OF the Essex Trade Coun
: ell Of Newark; secretary, Robert Mai
sci Of New York, and sergeant at arms
!, Isidore Epstein. The convention con
tinued III session through the dav an,
officers of the organization will b.
elected.