Denver labor bulletin., 1917-11-24
AMERICAN FEDERATION CHANGES THE
DATE FOR HOLDING ANNUAL SESSIONS
Adopts Recommendation of Executive Council
To Hereafter in June Thus Afording Opportunity
To Outline Definite Political Program Before the
Congressional Presidential Elections

is necessary to equip and carry on the
national cause.
Lost Sons in Service.
"And l ask you to think, is there
any man in Great Britain today who
has given a son to the state who would
not gladly change places with any
man who has only given or lost gold?
There is no comparison"
Each of the British delegates has
lost a son in the war
Hill reported that the British move
ment stood committed to the opinion
that an international (labor) confer
ence would be of the greatest service,
and as necessary preliminary to the
conclusion of a lasting. democratic
peace we recommend that the Trade
Union Parliamentary committee be
empowered to assist, to arrange and
take part in such a conference"
The Canadian fraternal delegate,
William Lodge, reported that the Ca
madam Trades and Labor Congress
had endorsed the same idea, and had
named three delegates to take part in
such a conference when called by the
British movement
Employers May Block Peace.
President Wilson's speech at the
beginning of the convention was taken
by most of the delegates as an ap-
peal. rather than summary demand,
for the stopping of strikes during the
war Men at the head Of big unions
whose men are out on strike, and who
have been desperately trying to over
come the anti-union stubbornness of
some of the employers holding gov
ernment contracts. said that whenever
the employers were ready for har-
monv with the labor movement the
trouble would be ended. Early in the
convention a resolution introduced by
DELEGATE p. J. Norrin Of the Bridge
and Structural Iron Workers appealed
TO the government TO force the United
States Steel corporation and Bethlc-
hem steel comuany officials 10 meet
the representative OF that union FOR
discussion Of conditions in the steel
industry At the same time the at
tempt Of the Building Trades depart
ment TO call off all strikes on govern
meut contract work proved only pnr-
TALLY effective. Employers blocked
the way to peace.
Non-Partisan League Talk.
Scarcely second in importance to
the changing of the date Of the con
vention on political grounds was the
address delivered to the delegates on
Friday by A. c. Townley. president Of
who came here at the invitation of the
officers. Townley. after he had told
the story of the exploitation OF the
farmers of the Northwest at the hands
of the milling trust and its friends,
asked the delegates whether II were
true that they were getting all the
surplus the farmers produced, az well
as the surplus wealth that they them
selves were creating. as the trust man
ayers would have the farmers believe
The delegates laughed.
"The farmers of this country he
said at one point, are tremendously
interested in the surplus you produce.
and IL you are as much interested as
the farmers are II is only matter Of
n few years until we can make tire
mendous bargain here that VIII be
very much to the benefit of all OF us
Should Get Together.
His description of the formation OF
the Partisan League, and OF its
success in North Dakota and its rapid
deyelopment in other states, held the
convention to the closest attention.
He read n resolution introduced by
Delegate Hall of the Minnesota state
Federation Of Labor. showing that the
big milling concerns had locked out
union employees because thew dared
/ ioin a union, and which demanded that
/ the government itself run the milling
/ industry. This resolution. Townley
said. indicated that the workers in the
mills and the workers in the fields
have need Of getting together to de
fend the interests of their families
] ba eet Of profitpprg.