The Connecticut labor press., 1919-05-17
TRADES COUNCIL
GIVES O'MEARA
A BIG OVATION
Defeat of Crowley's Investigation
Resolution Greeted With
Rousing Applause.
WAS DOWNED 81 TO 3
Discrepancies in Hearings and
Dates Explain Away Some
of the Crowley Support.

The controversy between President
Patrick F. O'Meara of the Connecticut
Federation of Labor and Timothy
Crowley of Hartford, organizer of the
American Labor Party, formed the
basis for another exceedingly lively dis
cussion before the New Haven Trades
Council at its meeting, Thursday even
ing, and resulted finally in the arnihi1a-
ton of the Crowley forces by a vote of
81 to 5.
1t will be recalled that Mr.. Crowley
appeared before the last meeting of the
Trades Council and asked that a COM
mittee of three be appointed to go to
Hartford and investigate President
O'Meara's charges that Mr.. Crowley
had used language before legislative
committees which had a detrimental
effect upon Labor's chances, of securing
desired legislation. Mr.. Crowley vehe-
mently denied the charges at that
meeting and Mr.. O'Meara reiterated
them with vehernence. The matter was
finally tabled at that meeting, a motion
to that effect having been made and the
chair having no other alternative under
parliamentary procedure than to put it
without debate. AS it was carried all
further discussion was necessarily ended
so far as that meeting was concerned,
The meeting Thursday evening of this
week drew large attendance of dele
gates who scented a battle in sight and
some of them, failing to understand the
parliamentary situation and believing
that the chair had arbitrarily ruled the
matter through to and end unfair to
Mr.. Crowley, came prepared to put up
stiff fight. r
The discussion soon developed the
fact that there was some misunder-
standing on the part of the delegates as
to just when and before what commit
tees the statements alleged to have been
uttered by Mr.. Crowley were made.
Delegate Snyder of the Polishers and
Buffers stated that Honest john
Fitzgerald of New Haven, an interna-
tional officer of the Pohsherx and Buff
fers, and "a -h+ot9YeT ramcd TIahertS of
Bridgeport, a member of the same or
gan1zat1on, were present at the hearing
before the Judiciary committee and were
positive that Mr.. Crowley had made no
such remarks as Mr.. OMeara had
charged.
Later Mr.. O'Meara explained that the
two men referred to were preesnt at
the first hearing on the bill in question
which was held on February u but were
not present at the second hearing, April
16, and it was at the second hearing
at which the remarks referred to were
made. This explanation was followed
by manly statement from Delegate
Snyder who said he was convinced that
he had been mistaken in his original
assumption that Mr.. Crowley could not
have made the remarks attributed to
him. the confusion in dates and hear
ings explaining the apparent testimony
to the contrary from the two brothers
quoted
1t also developed during the discus
sion that there was a mixup as to the
identity of the committees. Indignant
denia1s that certain remarks were made
by Mr.. Crowley before the Judiciary
committee brought out the fact that Mr..
OMeara had charged these statements
as having been made before the Labor
committee, the denial of members who
were present at Judiciary committee
hearing therefore being knocked into a
cooked hat.
Frank Fitzgerald, business agent of
the Hosting and Portable Engineers
and president of the State Building
Trades Alliance, made very forcefu1
statement concerning the matter:
Il heard Crowley make these state
ments myself. He made them on a bill
which l introduced. I am willing to
take my oath on it. I do not believe
that we should send a delegate to Hart
ford to play his political game for him.
He knows he said these things and any
body who knows him don't have to have
committee to investigate him."
The applause which followed these
remarks indicated the temper of the
gathering and upon the vote being put
on the motion calling for the appoint
ment of an investigating committee the
matter was finally and emphatica1ly
settled by result of 81 against it to
three in favor.
During the debate many glowing
tributes were paid to President
O'Meara's long and loyal service to
Labor's cause and to his unquestioned
personal integrity. The applause which
greeted the announcement of the final
vote was in the nature of an ovation for
him.