Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-09
'LAB0R'S ATTITUDE
(. IS TOLD IN REPORT
Laws Wanted and Past
Achievements Outlined at
Atlantic City Convention.
C0UBTS, PRICES, WAGES

|COUBTS, PRICES, WAGES
| By the Associated Press.
ATLANTIC CITY. N. J.. June g.
| Important projects for the advance
ment of labor and Improvement of
| working conditions. as we'll as COM
| prehensive outlines of what has been
| accomplished on labor's behalf dur
ing the last year. are set forth in the
report of the executive council of
| the American Federation of Labor.
/, submitted today to the officers and
delegates attending the opening ses
| sion of the thirty-ninth annual con-
vention.
| League of Nations Endorsed.
The advent of peace is taken by
the council to hold out bright pros
| poets for labor. OF the peace treaty
the council, after indorsing the
! triumph of freedom and justice and
democracy as exemplifled in the COW
| enant of the league of nations" say
promise, but that it must. however,
"be source of deepest satisfaction
| to the American working people to
| know that the American position and
| the American declarations as present
ed for insertion in the treaty ranked
! above all others in point of progress
measured and in point of actual and
practical application in the lives of
| working people. Whatever of COM
| promise appears was made because
i of the claims that other nations of
| the world could not pledge them
| selves to an immediate and definite
acceptance of the standards MAIN
| tanned by the American labor move
\ ment as the established practices of
| our day"
To Prevent Invasions by Courts.
| Foremost among the matters sub
| mitted by the council to the conven-
| ton are. suggestions dealing with
! legislation to prevent any invasion
| of the rights and prerogatives of the
| legislative branch Of our government
by the judiciary" The report OF the
accordance with resolution adopted
| by the st. Paul convention. In that
resolution the council was ordered to
study the successive steps which
have been taken by our federal and
supreme courts. through which, with
out constitutional authority and in
opposition to the action Of the con-
stitutiona1 convention, they laid hold
upon power which they now exer-
else"
The study has now been partially
completed and contains remedial
suggestions made by jackson H;
Federation Of Labor Three PROPOSE
tions are submitted in the report Tor
the consideration Of the convention.
each proposing that authority Of the
Supreme Court to pass upon acts Of
Congress should be Cancelled or
abridged.
Considerable attention is devoted
HI fLa 70 1oh 1ao{o1of{nn II
is said that some rule should be
adopted in Congress, which would
prevent obstructive legislative meth
DDS. The report lists among the
stalisd by ths weary Try
| last Congress and in which labor was
especially interested the appropria-
lions bills for the War Labor Board.
United States employment agency.
| women in industry service. working
| cation and inspection service.
Labor Legislation Wanted.
The executive council suggests that
| the convention authorize the printing
and wide circulation of a list Of
measures in which the American
Federation Of Labor is interested,
| immigration for four years during
the period Of Industrial reconstruc-
| ton. a bill for an old age retirement
system for federal employees in the
classified service. a bill providing a
eral employees, Secretary Lanes bill
| to furnish land for soldiers and sail
| ors, bill to give states the same
power over the products Of convict
| labor from other states as they OK
ercise over sthe products Of their own
prisons. industrial vocational educa-
ton for persons crippled in industry,
| Increased pay for teachers. and edu-
catioral bills designed to end a dull
illiteracy In the United States.
Appropriations for the Department
of Labor are discussed at some
length. 1t is stated in tho report that
congress In granting meager funds
to that department "ha. failed to in
Of present-day development" espe-
| cially "at a time when there is
| worldwide recognition of the fun
damental Importance Of Industrial
Tho council recommended ia III.
| convention the Endorsement Of gov
eminent Ownership Of the rafIroads
after setting forth in great detaii
various suggestions. about the rail-
| roads from different sources.
Price Control Seen.
Discussing what is called the meat
packing mnopoly." the council quoted
the report Of the Federal Trade Com
mission to President Wilson ana aid
that hearings by the House interstate
commerce committee seemed to show
conclusively the existence of a com
bination, which not only controls and
regulates the prices Of beef. lambs,
hogs and other meat, but also eEEs'
| butter. poultry. cheese, rice, fish, can
ned goods Of all descriptions, ieath-
er and wool 1t is then stated in
SO far as this combination restricts
these necessaries, the laborinr neonie
OF the country are adversely Affected
and the matter becomes one of vital