The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-09-15
Washington Commissioners Do
Not Object Policemen Form
ing Union But Oppose Affilia-
tion With the A. F. of L.
ULTIMATUM is ISSUED
MEN ON CAPITAL FORCE
Gompers Asserts Action Of the
Commissioners Is Affr0nt to
Organized Labor and Will Not
Be Tolerated.
(eY GEORGE II. MANNINo.)

! Washington. ID. c. Sept. 1.-THE
unionizing of the national capitals
police force and it's affiIiation with the
American Federation of Labor has
aroused tempest throughout the blue.
seated force. the senate, the. house of
representatives, the A. F. of l.. among
the district commissioners, is now be-
| fore the courts and has involved the
president.
/ The matter is of acute interest to
every man, woman and child in the
United States, members of congress
assert, because the plan of unioniz-
ing the police and affiliating it with
other labor unions is to be spread to
every community in the country and
may result in a serious clash between
the b1ue-coats and the higher up au-
thorities similar to that which has oc-
cussed in Boston and Washington.
The district commissioners did not
object to the policemen forming a un-
ion. but put their foot down firmly
upon its affiliation with the American
Federation of Labor. That brought
about the following situation.
1 The commissioners have advised
the Po1icemen's union that its affilia-
ton with the A. f. of l.. will not be
permitted and that unless the con-
nection is severed the police will be
dismissed. The police must resign
from either the union or the police
force If the connection with the A. F.
of l.. is not severed, the commission
ers declare.
A. F.. OF L.. held a conference with
the commissioners at which he said
the position taken by the officials was
an affront to organized labor and
would not be tolerated.
3 The senate and house have laid
aside the measure to grant liberal in
creases to the policemen pending the
outcome of the clash.
A. The policemen maintain their
constitutional right to organize and
affiliate with the A. f. of L., took
the question to the courts and obtain
ed a temporary injunction restraining
the commissioners from carrying out
their threat to dismiss the blue-coat
5 About 100 of the policemen, dis
satisfied with the meagre police salar-
les and the delay of congress in in
creasing them, and disgusted with the
attitude of the commissioners have fill
ed their designations. There were over
100 vacancies before the clash oc-
Cured.
The senate and house are con-
sidering a resolution introduced by
Senator Myers, of Montana, prohibit
ing the payment of any money to any
member of the police force who is a
member of any union affiliated with
the A. f. of l..
z. President Wilson on Wednesday
night. September 10th, the day before
the court was to rule on the restrain
ing injunction. either permanently
ers, or dismissing the proceeding, tele-
graphed Commissioner Brownlow sug
gesting the advisability of postponing
the police issue until after the forth
coming industrial conference. The
commissioner adopted the suggestion
and the court proceeding was post
poned.
The fight in congress to check the
policemen has been led by Senators
Myers, of Montana and Thomas, of
Colorado. both democrats.
Organized labor is going to step too
far when it attempts to get control
of the police forces of the country,
Senators Myers and Thomas said.
Speaking in the senate upon his
resolution, Senator Myers and Thorn
as said:
.sTo allow the police force to associ-
body of organized labor would put
the police department in position
where the government could not al
ways expect and might not always get
from the police force undivided alleg-
ance and answering attention to the
governments business. l believe that
allegiance and duty to the government
should be supreme, exclusive and un-
divided, and to permit anything else,
I think would be very unwise and i'm
proper and would be detrimental to
the preservation OF American liberty
and the perpetuation of American in
stitutions-
Organized labor has been treated
very literally by this administration,
continued Senator Myers Its right 10
organize and act collectively have been
recognized and confirmed Its right
to be exempt from the provisions OF
the Clayton antitrust law has been
decreed by legislation Its right to
picket by peaceful means and to in
dulge in picketing by moral suasion
has been upheld and confirmed by
the courts. think that is going quite
far enough I should not believe labor
should be permitted to get control of
the police forces of the country
police officers who have in their