Denver labor bulletin., 1917-11-24
By LAURENCE TODD
Especial Representative The Denver Labor
BulIetin.)

BUFFALO, Nov 17.-Only seven
months will elapse before the next an
nual convention of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor. Upon the recon-
mendation of the Executive Council,
ratified by the Committee on Law in
this convention and by vote, today
of 255 to 81 by the delegates them
selves, the constitution was changed
so that the labor movement will meet
in general conference on the second
Monday of June, each year, instead
of on the second Monday in November.
Why was this done? Because, as
made clear in the debate on the com
mittee's report, the leaders feel that
the A. F. of L. ought to make its in
fluence felt in securing Legislative
action in the United States Con-
gress and in the state legislatures
more effectively than at present. Pol
itics. in the sense of discussion and
drafting of measures which organized
labor wants enacted into law, must be
given more attention. Partisan pol
itics. Mr.. Gompers told the delegates,
has always been under the ban, but
politics expressed in measures has not
been excluded, and necessarily can
/
not
For a Definite Program.
So. to quote Treasurer John B. Len
non, chairman of the committee and
author of the resolution, "The conven-
tions will now be enabled to draw
up definite programs of legislative
measures. at the beginning of the po-
litical campaign instead of after 1t is
too late There will be no attempt to
endorse candidates in the convention
That is a matter which is left to the
local bodies"
who opposed the change Of date. did
so because he considered that IL let
down the bars TO political debate in
lahor bodies everywhere. Socialists
who voted for the resolution said aft
erward that II the Federation were to
take any political action whatever,
they believed that the time to do so
was lust at the outset of the primary
campaigns, and that when the con
ventions came to draft and stand by a
series of legislative demands these de
mands would be far more advanced
than would any which were framed
lust after the elections were over.
They concluded that the radical ele-
ment had nothing to lose and every
thing to gain by a competition in
Legislative measures before the dele
gates in the coming years.
Delegates of the old-line majority,
who voted for the new arrangement
took the ground that the Federation
would be able to virtually dictate the
platforms of the old parties. and thus
reduce the chance of any political
stampede to radical candidates OF
other parties They denied the sug-
pestion that there was any plan to
''deliver the labor vote
Not to Deliver the Vote.
In this connection it should be noted
that the endorsements given to polit-
ical candidates this year by labor bod
les were not particularly valuable.
For instance. the Chicago Federation
of Labor endorsed the Socialist lu-
dicial ticket. 1t did not deliver the
labor vote. In other cities the at
tempt of leaders to put solid labor
vote behind Republican or Democratic
nominees also broke down.
One possibility of the situation,
talked over among delegates privately,
| is the discovery at the next conven-
| ton that there is too much trade union
work before the convention to admit
/ of much discussion of political meas
ures. This may lead to the creating
of sort Of auxiliary convention. later
on. to deal especially with Legislative
issues. 1t would do the work per
formed in England bv the joint con
ference of the Trade Union Congress
with the Independent Labor Party.
War Profiteers Denounced.
The first weeks work at Buffalo
has resulted in the adoption of this
very significant change in the law OF
the Federation, and in the adoption OF
some ten or dozen resolutions or
other subjects. The remainer of the
time has been given to speeches and
to committee sessions. The British
fraternal delegates-John Hill Of the
Shipbuilders and Arthur Hayday OF
the General Laborers, were heard or
Thursday. They denounced the wal
profiteers of England, who seem tc
have kept up pretty well with the
scale set by the Bloated War Prof.
iteers of America. They told how tho
British workers toiled in the munitior
and shipbuilding plants seven days &
week, and long overtime every day
until their strength broke down, anc
the output was so reduced that the
government had to forbid Sunday
work and most of the overtime.
1--WE have already conscripted nj
the real wealth that is in our country,
said Hill, discussing the British work
ers' demand for conscription of wealth
"That is, all the efficient manhood hai
been taken by the state; and havinf
taken that, it is only simple matte
to take the material wealth where tina