The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-10-23
CAUSE OF BREAK
IN CONFERENCE
Leading Members of Three
Groups Give Their Opin-
ions as to Wreck Of
Meeting.
GoMPERs GIVES VIEWS
Says Labor Delegates are Not Jumping
Jacks But Men Responsible
for Millions of
Others.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.1
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23.-Ike
United Press today asked leading
members of the three groups which
formed the industrial conference for
their opinions on the causes and sig
nificance Of the break up; what. II
anything, was accomplished and what
may result.
Chairman Harry Wheeler. Of the
employers; Paul Feiss, OF the public
group, and Samuel Gompers, OF the
labor delegation made the following
statements:
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, who
led the walkout of LABOR delegates,
said:
"If employers cannot. as group,
agree to the declaration that the
workers without discrimination have
right to organize, it is worse than
useless to sit in conference further
with such men.
II have said time and again have
always been willing to meet with
men who will be willing to meet
with me and even with men who
have been enemies and opponents.
Some have changed their minds and
modified their views.
I'VE have Withdrawn and until the
conditions are changed, that ends it
SO far as we are concerned. We are
not jumping jacks. We are not only
men responsible as citizens, but re-
sponsible for millions of workers.
Information has come to me that
the employers group in their confer.
ence, voted against the deciara ton
collective bargaining) Dy majority
of one. / am quite convinced that
those employers in that group who
voted against the declaration are
unrepresentative of the Intelligent,
fair minded employers of this coun.
try"
Chairman Harry Wheeler, of the
employers group, said.
1.-The conference has SHOWN clearly
two things.
First, it has been proved con.
clusively that to succeed, a confer
ence of this kind must start with an
addenda prepared in advance.
Second, it seems to inc that the
principle of collective bargaining will
come to be more generally applied
in relations between individual en-
ployers and their workers as result
of this conference.
1.-THE conference has compiled a
record OF its proceedings which gives
a clear view Of what its delegates are
thinking upon the question of collec-
tive bargaining. This record which
thus becomes an invaluable public
document is certain to be studied by
many employers throughout the coun-
try and their woricmen. The prin-
ciple of collective bargaining thus
will be discussed more and more and
this discussion will bring both sides
closer in agreement"
Paul Feiss, big employer of Cleve-
land, member of public group said:
The conference has brought one
significant thing before the country.
This is to my mind the fact that
organized labor stands firmly against
the shop union.
ut seems to me that organized
labor is badly infected with ultra
conservatism. 1t Is nor up to date
1t has not developed wrtn the times.
The labor leaders now still are fight
ing their battles as they did fifty
years ago.
Now, it seems, they should en-
phasize increasing production. In
stead of forcing the organized labor
movement upon the employers, the
labor leaders should make the move
ment so attractive proposition that
the employer would ask his men TO
iOiD I"