The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-09-02
.LABOR'S STIAAl
At ROUV ABLE
Principal Poin s be Right
to Organic : to Bar
gain We.
PRESIDENT~ITH THEM
PREsIDENr~ITH THEM
L LocaI Leaders From All Parts of fhe
United States May be
Called to At
tend.
IBy Ralph Couch, United Press Staff
Correspondent

[By Ralph Couch, United Press Stair
Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Sept 2-The right
to organize and bargain collectively
with respect to wages and working
conditions will be the principal point
organized labor will press at the
round table" industrial conference to
be called by President Wilson, leaders
here agreed today.
Labor leaders feel they will have the
president with them in this demand
and there is belief among some of
them that the president may go even
further.
TT is the only way the workers can
obtain justice" said Secretary John
Scott Of the railway department,
American Federation Of Labor.
We'll endorse the conference plan
if it gives us the right to discuss bet
ter working conditions and increases
with officials of the postoffice," said
President Gilbert M. Hyatt, OF the
Postoffice Clerks union
ct is just what the steel workers
are contending for" said James Egan,
editor ofathe Weekly News Isetter OF
the American Federation of Labor.
Granting Of the proposal by repre-.
sentatives of the employers VIII bring
quick action and agreement at the
conference, labor leaders said.
Some favor having organized labor
make accession to the proposal con-
dition on its participation IN the con-
ference. Most leaders, however, be-
lieve the demand should be put forth
after the conference convenes.
Leaders plan to begin soon a series
of formal conferences, at which points
In their program will be framed. Local
leaders may be called to attend the
conference from all parts of the
United States.
The president has not yet indicated
how the conference shall be consti.
tuted. One problem on which the
president is studying, it was learsed
today. is whether the representatives
of the public shall be named to attend
the preliminary meetings of the con-
ference or whether he shall represent
the public AS another alternative,
the president might call on both CAPT
tai and labor to send representatives
and then name representatives of the
public.
Officials in touch with the president
believe he will adopt the first plan for
an informal meeting, to be held at the
white house at which he would at
tempt to mediate differences and pro-
mote a more friendly feeling between
labor and capital. Out of this meet.
ing then would grow the bigger indus
trial congress.
President Bert M. Jewell and other
officials of the railway department, A.
F. of L., today announced they sre
prepared to take immediate action to
stop unauthorized strikes.
Today had been fixed for walkout
of 100000 railroad shopmen but the
strike order was cancelled when Presf-
dent Wilson aslSed the shopmen to
vote on his proposal for wage IN
creases of four cents an hour pending
efforts of the government to reduce
living costs.
National officials fear some local
Unions which voted to reject the pro
posal today may attempt to carry out
the original order with the hope Of
stampeding other local unions into
similar action.
Approximately one third Of the
seven thousand local shopmen's unions
have completed the vote ana reported.
A majority of these unions voted to
accept the proposal, officials said
today. No day has yet been fixed on
which balloting must cease.