The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-10-06
Will Participate in Big Indus
trial Conference Today.
! Accept Wilson's Compromise
Plan for Representation.
MINERS STILL HOLDING OUT
Delegates To Try To Straighten
Industrial Tangles.
Urge Share in Profits and Oper.
alton for Labor.

Washington, Oct. 6.-Representa-
tives of all the railroad workers
unions, including the four big brother
hoods, will participate in the industrial
conference which begins here this aft
ernoon, Timothy Shea of the Firemen
announced after a conference of the
union heads.
The railroad men accepted the COM
promise proposal of President Wilson
that the four brotherhoods have one
delegate each and the fourteen unions
affiliated with the American Fedora
ton of Labor be represented thru the
federation's delegates. Bert M Jewell.
acting president of the railway en-
ployes' department of the federation,
will participate as delegate for the
public.
Secretary Wilson called the confer
ence to order at 2:30 p. m.
The Brotherhoods' Delegates.
Legislative Agent Roberts of the
American Federation of Labor. said
the brotherhoods delegates would be:
President w. c.. Lee of the train
men; President Timothy Shea of the
fireman; President T. E. Sheppard OF
the conductors and Herman Wills, leg
islative agent of the locomotive engi-
neers.
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait, presi-
dent of the National American Woman
Suffrage association, today declined to
join the conference because of pre-
vious engagements" Miss Lillian
Valid, New York, social worker and
writer, was named in Mrs. Cats place.
The fourteen railroad unions con-
| sidered Withdrawing from the confer
ence because no effort was made to
meet their proposal that the confer
! ence be enlarged to include one repre-
! sentative from each national and in
ternational union.
Miners Are Unrepresented.
Only the United Mine Workers of
America now are without representa-
ton. their acting president, John L.
Lewis having declined an invitation
4 to serve as a delegate.
/ The miners and railroad work srs
claim to represent three-fourths of
| the four million members of organized
| labor in America.
| Government officials say all are ade-
quately represented thru the fifteen
/ delegates named to the conference by
President Gompers of the American
Federation OF Labor.
Secretary Tumulty today was try
| ing to learn if the president had pre-
pared any statement for the confer
| ence previous to his illness.
Urges Labor Have Voice.
"A snare In the management and
profits of all industry for labor will be
one of the first proposals to be placed
| before the conference
The proposal, now in the hands of
Secretary Wilson of the labor depart
ment, was submitted at the suggestion
| OF President Emeritus Eliot of Har-
ward university. Eliot will attend the
conference at the invitation of Presi-
| dent Wilson, who named him one of
twenty-five delegates to represent the
| public.
| Fifty-six men and women. all noted
| for their activity in the industrial and
| financial world have been invited to
| sit In the conference as representa-
| tives OF organized labor, capital. bank
1 ers. farmers and women workers.
In many sections of the country.
| strikes and lockouts have been term
| mated or postponed at the instigation
of government officials to await action
| by the conference.
No Set Labor Program.
Organized labor will go into the
conference without a set program"
said Secretary Frank Morrison. a
member Of the labor group. early to-
day.
/ Five delegates of the Chamber of
! Commerce of the United States have
/ also been instructed to go to the con-
! ference without a program prepared
in advance.
! Under plans as arranged early to-
, day Director John Barrett of the Pam
American union will welcome the
/ delegates and introduce Secretary VIII
son. who will explain the purpose Of
the conference as outlined by Presi-
dent Wilson before his illness. Will
son then will call for the election of
a permanent chairman and other off
ficials.
The next business will be the APP
pointment of committees to consider
more than 200 proposals for arbitra-