The Connecticut labor press. (New Haven, Conn.) 191?-1921, 1919-11-01


The execut il of the Amer
lean Federal Dor and the four
grand chief railroad brother
hoods issued a carr-~.lis week addressed
to presidents of all national and inter-
national unions affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor for a
conference in Washington to begin on
December 49, The call is as follows.
NEARLY a month before the deClara
ton of war by the United States gov
ernment, the executives of the national
and international unions met in COrfer
ence in Washington and then and there
declared Labor's attitude toward our
government whether in peace or in war,
and Labor made good.
The arrnistice was signed November
II, 1918. Automatically hostilities have
ended. Technically we are yet in a
state of war. The return of industry
from war footing to a peace basis is
not readily accomplished. The patriotic
about by the dangers which threatened
the overthrow of democracy and free
dom, seems to have subsidized.
'1n this critical reconstruction period,
Labor is confronted with grave dangers
affecting the very foundation of the
structure. So grave is the situation re-
garded that at its recent meeting, the
Executive Council of the American
Federation of Labor and the represen-
tatives of the Railroad Brotherhoods
agreed that the executives of the ma
tiona1 and international unions should
be invited to participate in a conference
at the headquarters of the A. +. of l..
at 10 o'clock on the morning of De-
cember 49, 1919, and there to take
counsel and to formulate such action
as may be essential to safeguard and
promote the rights, interests and free
dom of the wage earners, the workers,
who form the great mass of the people
of Our Republic.
1t is imperative that the responsible
representatives of the labor movement
shall therefore consider the situation in
the industrial and legislative field and
agree upon fundamental principles and
a program which the wage earners will
accept in performing their duties as
citizens and at the same time maintain
ing the right of free men in order to
conserve human interest and welfare
We conferred with the representa-
tives of the various farmers organlza-
bodies will be held within the next 80
days. The representatives of the farm
ers, while in sympathy with the purpose
of the conference, did not feel that they
had the authority to append their names
to this call However, formal COM
munications will be sent to their con-
ventions inviting them To appoint rep
resentatives to participate in the con-
ference of December 18th with author
ity to speak in the name of the organ
izations they represent.
You are earnestly urged to attend the
conference in person, and thereby give
the most effective and responsible ex-
preston of the needs to meet the situa-
ton.
Samuel Gompers, President; James
Duncan, First Vice-President; JOS
F. Valentine, Second Vice-Presi-
dent; Frank Duffy, Third Vice
President; William Green, Fourth
Vice-President; w. D. Mahon,
Fifth Vice-President; T. A. Rick
ert Sixth Vice-President; Jacob
Fischer, Seventh Vice-President
Matthew Woll Eighth Vice-Presi-
dent; Daniel J. Tobin, Treasurer ;
Frank Morrison, Secretary; Execu-
tive Council American Federation
of Labor.
Warren S. Stone, Grand Chief, Broth
erhood Locomotive Engineers.
Timothy Shea, Grand Chief, Brother
hood Locomotive Firernen.
w. E. Lee, Grand Chief, Brotherhood
of Railroad Trainmen.
L. E. Sheppard, Grand Chief, Order
Railway Conductors of America.