The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-10-15
STORMS RACK
LABOR PARLEY
Bitterness Developed During
Shifting Efforts to Save
Situations.
PoLITENESs IS. DROPPED
Baruch's Plan Finally Averted
Open Struggle Between Cap
ital and Labor.

(sY WILLIAM G. sHEPHERD.)
washington, Oct. 15.-U. N. So
president Wilson's industrial confer
ence was racked by storms today,
With Samuel Gompers absent on q
plea OF illness. and with feeling in
1he labor group that this illness came
at particularly inauspicious time;
with the public group sorely strained
IN It's attezfpt to modify the intensity
of.ssSS fight between the employers
ana labor and with the employers
group impatiently ready to come to
an issue with the labor delegates, the
DAY passed in hectic fashion. The
single fact stands out that the con-
terence will not break up on the
famous Gompers resolution demand
ing arbitration of the steel strike.
The scene in the auditorium at the
Pan-American building was UNIQUE.
me delegates milled around the
room from table to table. The con-
Viction was general that the labor
group might bolt the conferenqe and
break up President Wilson's last re-
sort to secure industrial peace The
speakers platform was empty ex-
cept for an idle secretary. I'm the
rear OF the room several hundred
spectators, representing the boutside
pubic, sat in puzzlement ard won-
Ger. Newspaper correspondents were
AFRAID to move around from man to
man, getting what head or tail they
could out of the scores of converse :
tions under way,
News Came of Coal Strike.
Tne getting of reliable news, in
need, became so difficult that the re-
porters held an important meeting at
press table with Chairman Lane
and got him to appoint a committee
or conference delegates to meet the
correspondents and give them what
ever news was available.
From time to time one group or
another would retire from the room
Ind hold conferences on some plan
which had been unofficially advanced
% avert the threatened crash.
NO one cared to present a plan
nat might not be adopted and, this,
way explained the failure of
Chairman Lane to call the confer
ence to order.
Most of the delegates were still in
he Pan American building, when,
pver the wires, it was made known
nat nationwide strike of coal min
ers had been called.
Heated Speeches Made.
In the various shifting efforts to
ave tho situation fntensa bitterness
Developed. Heated speeches were
made; the mask of politeness fell off.
he employers openly charged on the
loor that politics was at the root of
matters. The public responded, it's
esentment against this charge being
voiced by Thomas Chadbourne.
Chairman Lane, after he had made
ruling which seemed to have
brought the great clash to hand,
hanged his opinion, after chorus
II groans had come from the labor
able. For several minutes, before
Iane had reversed himself. the labor
leaders, were crying. Original mo-
ion; original notion" which meant
hat they wanted vote on the Com
Pers' resolution. The Plumb plan
Fame to light during lull in the
torn.
Bernard Baruch Saves Day.
1t was the plan of the public group,
resented by Bernard M. Baruch, that
inally saved the conference from
Witnessing an open struggle between
apital and labor. A plan previously
uggested by Baruch in informal
hshion did not meet the pleasure of
he labor men, but finally the idea of
urning the whole problem over to
committee was evolved and when it
ecame known, also informally, that
basis of agreement might be
cached, Chairman Lane called the
onference to order. ninety minutes
fter the time set for opening.
1t leaked out that the star cham
er caucus of the public group this
aorning was one of the most dram
tic incidents of the conference.
Judge E. Fl. Gary, chairman of the
United States Steel corporation,
penly declared that the labor group
Eas trying to force the closed shop
n his corporation and was using the
difference to further the special in
crest of the labor group.
Gary Called to Account.
J. J. Forester, president of the
brotherhood of Railway. Clerks and
,xpressmen, who is sitting in the
ublic group, arose and demanded to
now what right Mr.. Gary had to
speak defining the position of labor"
lie asked Mr.. Gary sharply whether
c "knew more about the position of
rganized labor than Samuel Com
ers."
While he was speaking thus uncere-
boniously DR.. Eliot hastily moved
adjournment. FORESTER refused to be
Interrupted and insisted on his right
B call Mr.. Gary to account"
Forester finished and the group
hjourned without taking any action
b either the Gompers resolution or a
bmpromise measure. The public del
gates came into the general confer
nee room looking ruffled after the
early two hours heated debate.
The lack of united principles in the
public" group is becoming more and
bore a marked feature of the con-
Erence.
"They have about as many ideas in
bmmon as a crowd on a New York
lbway train," said a conference
ritic after the group fight came to
ght this morning.
Frank Morrison, secretary of the
american Federation of Labor, was
X,Jacted by the labor p.roun IN sneak