The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-10-24
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SONS MESSAGE
KING AGREEMENT
) WITHOUT RESULT
Labor Delegates Withdraw from
Industrial Conference With
out Settlement.
A SPLIT ON BARGAINING

pers, But When We Meet Again
You Will BE Glad to Talk ColIcc
tive Bargaining. ."-Rulcs Blamed
for Lack OF Settlement.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23.-Labo
withdrew from the national indus
trial conference Wednesday night af-
ter its final effort to obtain adoption
or collective bargaining resolution
had been defeated by the vote of a
majority of the capital group.
Although the representatives Of
both the public and capital announc-
ed their intention of remaining in the
conference, the next move in the eff
fort to restore industrial peace to the
country rested with President Will
son.
Mr.. Lane will make a personal re
port of the situation to the president.
but neither leaders in the conference
nor officials generally would venture
prediction as to what course Mr.
Wilson would take.
Withdrawal Of the labor group was
announced by Samuel Gompers, pres
ident OF the American federation Of
labor, after a dramatic speech. It
came only few hours after Secretary
Lane, in an effort to prevent what
many from almost the first had re.
garded as the inevitable, had read a
letter in which President Wilson, die
tating from his sick bed, appealed for
harmony in the conference and for
ne final working out OF a program of
ustrial peace.
! Representatives of labor did not
join in the applause which greeted
the letter and Mr.. Gompers character
iZed as "most unfortunate" a motion
by John Spargo, of the public group
that each group pledge the presiden
1t would make every effort to accom-
plish the work for which the confer
euce was called. The motion was
withdrawn and the conference recess
ed so the labor group could meet to
determine its future course.
When the conference convened in
the afternoon, the labor group pro-
posed a 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 groups uniting in its
support on the roll call The majori-
ty against the resolution in the capt.
tai group was one vote, but under the
conference rules this majority was
sufficient to defeat the resolution.
With the announcement Of the re-
suit Mr.. Gompers told the conference
the resolution had been rejected with
out right or reason, rejected on the
grounds so fiimsy 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" declared the vet
eran labor leader. "but we will meet
you again in conference and when we
do meet you there you will be glad
to talk collective bargaining"
II have sung my swan song in thisI
conference. You have by your ac-I
tion legislated us out OF the gathering.
We have nothing further to say. and
1t 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"
Representatives of the four rail
road brotherhoods remained in the
conference until the session ad journ.
ed. hut they announced that they did |
so "out OF courtesy to the other dele
gates" and that they were in accord
with the main body of the labor
group.
Before the labor delegates left the
hall Mr.. Spargo asked them not to
make their decision irrevocable. but
to remain with the understanding that
the conference would proceed to de-
velop and formulate a general pro
gram which will clearly define and
establish the right OF collective bar
gaining
Calling attention that only "very
amaIt m a forffy" of the memhera had