Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-09-24
Defer ACTION
ON UNIONS OF
CITY WORKERS
Mayor to Confer with Police
and Firemen on Union
Plans; Men May Ask
Federal Aid.

of the whole on Monday morning
resulted in an agreement that actor
by the council shall be deferred unit
Thursday morning and during The
meantime conferences will be helt
in Mayor Smiths office between rep
resentatives of the city government
and of the organizations affected.
The council committee of the
whole received last week a resolu,
tion from the mayor, stating that il
was the judgment of the council that
any organization of policemen or
firemen having for its purpose af-
filiation with other organizations
would be regarded as against the
best public interests and would be
considered as INSTRUMENTATION. This
resolution went over to Thursday.
Mayor and Ringer Talk.
In statements made during the
public hearing. the mayor and Com
missioner Ringer declared them
selves as uncompromisingly CON-
mitted to the stand they have taken
on this matter. while representatives
and leaders of organized labor were
equally determined to stand bv the
policemen and flremen and even an
nounced that if the council should
take the extreme action as has been
indicated, they would place the mat
ter before the federal government
for disposition,
In his opening statement the
mayor said: II wish to offer word
of justification for offering my reso-
luton. Personally, / have no OBJ
lection against the policemen or
ganizing among themselves as long
as they do not conflict in letter or
spirit with the best interests of dis
cipline and so long as they do not
seek to become affiliated with other
organizations of different classes Of
labor. If they should receive a
charter from the American Fedora
ton of Labor and are affiliated with
the Central Labor union, l would be
unalterably opposed to such a
course.
ITO receive a charter from the
American Federation of Labor
would mean that they would meet
and confer with other members of
that organization and thereby would
be susceptible to influence from 9TH
ers. A divided allegiance would re-
4 suit and that can not be tolerated.
When a man becomes a policeman
he surrenders part of his personal
liberty.
Plead Outside Influence.
During the recent campaign
some of US stated that the police de-
l partment was being run too much
Il from thssoutside, and we pledged
SS.SeoursekeGs, that if elected, the police
department would be supervised
from Eighteenth and Farnam
streets-by the city government
\ and l am ready to stand by my
pledge to the people. No outside
agency is going to influence or con.
troll the police department if I can
help it. The policemen must re-
main absolutely impartial in the dis
charge of their duties"
Stands By Order.
Superintendent Ringer of the po-
lice department following the mayor
said: II still stand by the or.
der / issued, and l wish to
state that it was furthest from my
mind to make a threat or bluff. Hav-
ing given the matter much thought
] stated what penalty would be i'm.
posed for violation of my order
Men have a right to organize, but
none Of us will saction injury to life
or property. Organized labor OF
business interests can 60 just so far
Most of the loyal union men believe
that police department should have
only one source of authority; gen.
eral public opinion is opposed tc
unionism of police departments"
The mayor than added: "Thi:
council realizes that the policemen
and fremen are shamefully under
paid. We went to the city chartei
convention and the new proposed
charter provides for more pay. VIZ
are buying the best apparatus we
can for the fremen and will provide
new quarters for the policemen. W.
will stand by the policemen and the
hremen and shall demand that the,
stand by us"
Will Ask Government Aid.
c. L. Shamp, announcing himsel
as general organizer for the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, expressed
himself as follows:
1--WE are going to organize an,
who come to US. The flremen ant
policemen voluntarily walked int
Labor temple and asked to be or
ganized. In connection with tn
hremen / know that if this propose,
action is taken by the city council
there is going to be the creates
time around Omaha we ever had"
..sThe policemen did not tell II
what they wanted when they cam
to us. but take II that they wan
something to eat. My. Ringer aske'
me if the organization had the RICH
to strike and l told him that it ha
+. and that it would be affiliated wit
the Central Labor union. and sal
we would like to hold conference
We expected to have to fight tn
Business Mems association. We ar
rady to go through with this and W
are willing to let it go to the wa
board if necessary. If this councl
which represents the people, lock
US out we are going to take our cas-
to the government
Civic Clubs Represented.
w. M. Chase, representing va
fious organizations of organized la
Dor, asked this question: DO yo'
think that these men could get any
by coming to this council"