Omaha daily bee., 1919-10-23
Public Group Delegates Will
Remain in Session and Re-
port Direct to President Viii
son, Chairman Announces.
ALL OF GOMPERS MEN
RETIRE FROM MEETING
Labor Group Will Not Recon-
slider its Acknowledgements
Left May Continue Discus
sions, Secretary Lane Says.

Washington, Oct. 22.-Labor
withdrew from the national indus
trial conference tonight after its
final effort to obtain adoption of a
collective bargaining resolution had
been defeated by the vote Of ma
jority of the capital group.
Although the representatives of
both the public and capital an
rounced 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.
Secretary of Interior Lane will
make personal report of the stu
alton to the president, but neither
leaders in the conference nor Off
cials generally would venture a pre-
diction as to what course Mr.. Viii
son would take.
The conference will be called to-
gether tomorrow as usual
Withdrawal of the labor group
was announced by President Com
! pers of the American Federation o.
Labor, after dramatic speech. /,
came only few hours after Secre-
tary Lane had read letter in which
President Wilson, debating from
Els sick bed, appealed for harmony
in the conference and for the final
working out of a program of indus
trial peace. Representatives of la
Dor did not join in the applause
which greeted the letter and Mr.
Gompers characterized as mos,
unfortunate" motion by John
Spargo Of the group, that each
group pledge the president it woule
make every effort to accomplish this
work for which the conference wa.
called. The motion was withdrawn
and the conference recessed so the
labor group could meet to deter.
mine its future course.
Propose Resolution.
When the conference convened II
the afternoon, the labor group pro
tested the resolution which wa.
brought Immediately to discussion
and vote, the labor and public
groups uniting in its support on the
roll call. The majority against the
resolution in the capital group was
one vote. but under the conference
rules this majority was sufficient &c
defeat the resolution.
Mr.. Gompers told the conference
the resolution had been rejected
without right or reason, rejected
On grounds so flimsy that the men
sitting in the employers group will
have difficulty in explaining their
action to their fellows in the
world"
"You have defeated the labor
group in its declaration" he de-
clared, "but we will meet you again
in conference and when we do meet
you there you will be glad to talk
collective bargaining.
Il have sung my swan song in
this conference. You have by your
action legislated us out of the
gathering. We have nothing fur
ther to say and it is with feeling
of regret that we are not able to
remain longer. Our chief regret is
the defeat of every fair proposition
on Our part. The die is cast. We
cannot remain longer"
In Accord With Labor.
Representatives of the four rail-
road brotherhoods remained in the
conference until the session ad-
journed, but they announced they
did so "out of courtesy to the other
+, delegates" and that they were in
accord with the main body of the
labor group.
Mr.. Spargo asked the labor dele
gates not to make their decision ir-
revocable, but to remain with the
understanding that the conference
would proceed to develop and for
mulate general program which
will clearly define and establish the
right of collective bargaining"
Calling attention that only very
small majority of the members q
the conference had voted against
the collective bargaining resolution,
while about so favored it, DR..
Charles w. Eliot of the public
group said this inconsistency was
due to the impossible rules" under
which the convention worked.
Harry A. Wheeler, chairman of
the employers group, in announce
ing the intention of his group to re-
main here for further work, said cap
ital representatives would not ac-
eept the responsibility for breaking
up the conference. He declared
they had worked sincerely for what
they considered just principles and
that they were willing to stand ON
the record of the conference.
In last effort to prevent the dis
solution of the national Industrial
conference Chairman Lane todav
read to the delegates the letter lie.