The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1919-10-23
LABOR W|THDRAWS
FROM CONFERENCE
After Its Defeat By Capital
In It's Effort To Secure
Collective
BARGAINING RESOLUTION

Washington, oct 22.-Labor
withdrew from the National Indus
trial conference tonight after his final
effort to obtain adoption of col
lective bargaining resolution had
been defeated by the vote of a ma
jority of the capital group.
Although the representative of
both the public and capital an
Eounced their intention of remain
ing in the conference, the next move
in the effort to restore Industrial
peace to the country evidently rest
ed with President Wilson.
Mr.. Lane will make a personal re-
port of the situation to the President
but neither leaders in the confer
enc4 (nor officials generally would
venture prediction as to what
course Mr.. Wilson would take
Meantime thee conference will be
called together tomorrow as usual.
Withdrawal of the labor group
was announced by Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Fedora
tion of Labor, after dramatic
speech. 1t came only a few hours
after Secretary Lane, in an effort
to prevent what many from almost
the first had regarded as the inevi-
table, had read a letter in which
President Wilson, debating from his
sick bed, appealed for harmony in
the conference and for the final
working out of program of indus
trial peace.
Representatives of labor did not
join in the applause which greeted
the letter and Mr.. Gompers charac-
tepized as "most unfortunate" a
motion by John Spargo, of the pub
lie group, that each group pledge
the President it would make every
effort to accomplish the work for
which the conference was called.
The motion was withdrawn and the
conference recessed so the labor
group could meet to determine it's
future course.
When the conference convened in
the afternoon the labor group pro-
posed resolution recognizing the
right of collective bargaining.
Under suspension of the rules,
the resolution Immediately was
brought to discussion and vote. the
labor and public group uniting in it's
support on the roll call. The ma
Jorlty against the resolution in the
capital group was one vote, but un-
der the conference rules this major
lty was sufficient to defeat the reso.
| luton.
With the announcement of the re
suit, Mr.. Gompers told the confer.
ence the resolution had been re-
Jected without right or reason, re-
Jected on grounds so f1imsy thai
the men sitting in the EMPLOYERS
group will have difficulty in explain
ing their action to their fellows i,
| the world
;! You have defeated the labo,
group in it's declarations, declare,
the veteran labor leader. s'but w,
will meet you again in conferenc,
i. and when we do meet you ,ther
:, you will be glad to talk COLLECTIVE
bargaining.
Representative of the four rail
road brotherhoods remained in tn
conference until the session adjourn
ed, but they announced that they d.
SO out of courtesy to the other del
egates" and that they were in &C
cord with the main body of the Ia
Dor group.
Before the delegation left the hal
, Mr. Spargo asked them not to max
their decision irrevicable, but t
remain with the understanding tha
the conference would proceed t
develop and formulate genera
program which Will clearly defn
and establish the right of colIectiy
bargaining'
DR.. Charles w. Eliot, presider
: emeritus of Harvard Universit,
: blamed the impossible rules u1
! der which the conference has worl
3 ed for the failure. Under the rule
: the groups vote as a unit. He sal
at least fifty members o. the col