Bisbee daily review., 1919-11-06
GOMPERS MAKES
 FIRST ADDRESS
 AT CONFERENCE
Labor Leader, Seated as Un- official Delegate, Advocates
 Eight-Hour Day in Prefer ence to 4S-Hour Week


 WASHINGTON, Nov. 5-Making
 his first address before the interna. tional labor conference, in which he sits as an unofficial representative of American labor, Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, declared today for the straight eight-hour day as a maxi mum. as compared with the 4S-hour week, and incidentally served notice that in the United States even the eight-hour day would be shortened if labor could accomplish its purpose
 MT. Gompers spoke in reply to a majority report on the part of em- ployer delegates favoring the prin- cipie of reducing hours but stating that it could not now be put in force generally owing to the need for in- creased production as a result of the war.
 The report, submitted by D. S. Majoribanks of Great Britain, point ed out the need for special effort ito make good the shortage of food sup plies, the reconstruction of devastat- ed areas and the replacement of ma chinery," and declared that the pro- gressive increase in the cost of liv- ing would lead to disaster unless the needs of the present situation were considered in conjunction with the aims of the labor representa- tives."
 Stoutly denying that output could be increased over q considerable pe- riod of time by lengthening hours, | MT. Gompers characterized the Amer ican workman the most productive | worker in the world, and said indus trial history proved the eight-hour | day to be more productive than a ten or twelve-hour day.
 MT. Gompers later took the floor to move that the entire subject of | hours of work be referred to com | A motion offered yesterday by George w. Barnes, member of the British war ministry, and gov ernment delegate, and numerous | today, had been the sub session and MT. Gompers proposed | that the whole matter be sent to a committee.
 The American labor leaders's mo- tion was lost, 30 to Al, with ma jority of the labor delegates voting mo" MT. Gompers raised his hand in the affirmative, but his vote was not counted by the secretary because of his unofficial status.
 ' MT. Barnes motion provided that the draft convention on the AS hour week prepared by the organizing be made the basis for dis cussion. but this was opposed iby labor delegates on the ground that it excluded the eight hour day from The original motion, with an amendment by Arthur Fon- taine of France, striking out the ob- iectionable words "forty-eight hour week" followed the fate of the other The conference, with US slate clean then adjourned until D. m. tomorrow.
 In opening the debate, MT. Majorl- banks said that realization of snort CT working hours was subject 10 lhe following conditions:
 "Guarantee that all industries shall work to their normal fullest capac- ity.
 Unanimous agreement to maintain and increase output.
 Adoption of provisional measures which would enable speedy produc- tion and normal distribution in those industries the upkeep of which is in to the economic life Of the nations of the world.
 "Postponement of the enforcement of the principle for five years m cases where it would hinder the res. toration of the devastated areas ol IN11lnnan