The Connecticut labor press., 1919-12-06
BIG CONFERENCE
 OF LABOR HEADS NEXT SATURDAY
Extra Session of Congress, Most Reactionary, Leads to New
 Fight for Workers.
GREAT ENMITY SHOWN
Legislation Aimed Against Bol- shevism Conceals Attempt to
 Wipe Out Trade Unionism.

Washington, D. C., Dec. 5.-Labor is
 to have new "Biif of Grievances" to present to the President and Congress. This will be prepared next Saturday, December 13, at a meeting in Wash l ington of representatives of all national and international unions, the railroad brotherhoods and farmers organiza- tions.
 The extra session of Congress was
 the most reactionary i'll history While | the people of the country were suffer
 ing from the high cost of living and
 many other evils, congress turned deaf
 ear to the earnest appeals of the sui fering. It passed the months i'll endeav-
 bring to find some way of encroaching
 on the liberties of the people, especially of those who work for wages.
 Probably the, most damaging bills in l troduced related to the turning over of the railroads to their owners. First, Senator Curnmins submitted a bill that l would enforce compulsory service of the railroad employees. President | Gompers, of the American Federation of Labor, declared before the senate interstate commerce committee that when the railroads were taken over by
 the government the employees were free men. "a
 But now," he said, you propose to
 turn them back with the employees handcuffed."
 Then Representative Esch came for ward with a plan to make labor or
 ganizations financially responsible for damages suffered by a carrier by a strike. Representative Webster, a bit
 ter foe of labor, went little further by
 submitting an amendment making not 1o1o ok c.
 ages, but the members.
 Seventy bills purporting to point a way to driving out anarchists, bo1she- viks and other disloyalists were intro
 duced. But hidden in the lines of these
 bills were 'JQkers' that will affect trade unions and their, normal activities. La
 bor officials point out that most judges
 i'll making decisions always give the
 benefit of the doubt against labor. The coming conference will therefore
 declare against all attempts to take away the liberties of the loyal wage earners under the guise of freeing the country of those who have been dis
 loyal It will point out the dangers to the country if the next Congress
 continues its reactionary policy. It will
 charge without any qualification that congress is responsible for the growth
 in numbers of anarchists and bo1she- viks and that the disloyal elements
 would have been far greater if it had not been for the stabi1izing efforts of the trade unions.
 Many members of congress have been
 unusually vindictive. Most of them are
 lawyers, as there are 351 members of that occupation among the 52l members of congress. Senator Thomas, who is
 in sympathy with the policies of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company, Sem ator. Myers and Senator McCumber
 have all made records for unjust charges against labor. The records of these senators as well as those of all other members of congress are being kept for use in the next political cam paign. The conference will define political policy for the campaign and is expected to follow it vigorously. It will be directed against members of
 Congress and will be most far-reaching.