The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-08-30
|C0MPERS HOPES
FOR SETTLEMENT
Executive Council of Labor
Making Every Effort to
Adjust Issues.
MANY RUMoRS AFLOAT
Shopmen Vote Largely in Fa-
vor of Rejection of AGENT
Hour Increase.
(BY JOHN EDWIN NEvIN.)


Washington, Aug. 30.--U. n. S.)-
President Samuel Gompers of the
American Federation of Labor, sum
ming up this afternoon the work of
the executive council of that body,
which has been in session for the
last three days, said
THE council considered the sit
uation growing out of the organiza-
ton of the iron and steel industry.
1t is making every effort to bring
about the best possible results to all
concerned These efforts are being
continued and we hope that an amic-
able adjustment will be reached be-
fore any cessation of work is inau-
gurated.
Another report that had wide cir
culation, but was absolutely uncom-
firmable, was that the president fa-
vored a nationwide Investigation of
impending labor troubles with con-
gressional action along lines that
would give actual power to the fed
eral board of mediation and con-
citation. This board, created in 1913,
has power to mediate indisputes be-
tween common carriers and their en-
ployes, but it has never been very
successful in operation. The report
circulated here was that it might be
made the nucleus for a new board to
be created which would have juris-
diction over all industries engaged in
interstate business and which would
be given powers sufficient to enable
it to head off general strikes that
would break national industries.
Won't Discuss Rumor
White House officials refused to
discuss this rumor, and it was ut
terly impossible to learn whether the
president actually has the plan un-
der consideration. in the past Or
ganized labor has bitterly opposed
any legislation that smacked off COM
pulsSry arbitration, and it was stated
az the American Federation of Labor
headquarters this afternoon that this
opposition still exists. Meanwhile,
the strike vote taken by the railroad
shopnlen still was said to be largely
in favor of a rejection of the presi-
dents offer of 4 cents an hour in
crease and to strike.
Only a part of the vote, however,
has reached headquarters, and 1t was
stated that no effort would be made
to compile it until after the complete
vote is at hand. B. NJ. Jewell, chief
of the railway division of the fedora
ton, said that he had no actual fig
ures today, and would have none
until the vote was completed.
New Charter for Actors.
$50 far as the strike of actors Is
concerned" says Gompers. I'VE have
granted a new charter to the Actors
Equity association, formerly the
White Rats. The new association is
to be known as the Actors and Art
lists Association of America. Tho
federation has pledged the strike of
the actors the complete support of
the American Federation of Labor in
the present struggle.
THE council listened to reports
from various labor organizations on
the Plumb railway plan and on the
Sims bill putting that plan into ef-
feet. The proposition is of such far
reaching importance to labor and the
people of the country generally that
final action was deferred. A special
was named to investigate
all of the facts and report to the
federation, with a recommendation of
action for it to take"
When Mr.. Gompers was asked what
action had been taken by the coun-
Gil regarding the case of the railway
shopmen, he said:
II have told you all that I have
been authorized to say regarding
what the council did,
The shopmen were heard by the
executive council on their plea for
support in the demand for greatly
increased wages.