The Connecticut labor press., 1920-05-29
MAYOR REFUSES WELCOME
 TO (. F. OF |. CONVENTION
Nevertheless Annual Meeting in Waterbury Was One of Most Harmonious and Successful Ever and Did More to Promote Labor's Welfare Than Was Ever Done Before Officers Re- elected and Many Important Resolutions Adopted.

Resolutions Adopted.
 It is seldom that a convention of g state branch of the American Fedora ton of Labor is held under such sen. sational conditions as characterized the four-day session of the Connecticut Federation of Labor which closed in Waterbury, Thursday.
 First came the refusal of Mayor William Fl. Sandland to extend wei come to the delegates in the name of the city and then came the arrest of l35 strikers, charged with parading without a permit when, according to the result of an investigation conducted by com mittee from the convention, they were either engaged in picketing of the most peaceful kind or merely walking on the street.
 In way 1t is most fortunate that the representatives of Labor oroaniza- tions of every craft from all over the state should have been right on the spot when the arrests were made for the in- cident gave them first hand view of the tactics that are being followed in : the Brass City to squelch the strike and 1t will beyond doubt have the effect of placing Organized Labor all over Connecticut so1idly behind the strikers.
 It also impressed the delegates with a keen realization of the co-ordinated effort of the larger employers to crush Organized Labor and gave them an idea of what may come to their own localities if the attempt in Waterbury is successful. The result cannot help but be most beneficial to the Labor movement for, now that the unions throughout the state have had such a forceful demonstration of what is on foot they are bound to unite Solidlv to defeat the attempt It is safe to say that this feature of the convention will be the dominant topic m every dele gates report to his or her organiza- ton.
 If the men behind the effort to de- stroy the trade union movement in Con- necticut had spent months in planning for way to strengthen Organized La bor with a determination to fight them to the last ditch they could not have hit upon better plan than to have staged during the session of the con- vention just such demonstration of their intent as was given.
 Many of the delegates were of the opinion that the employers hoped that the incident would lead the convention to lose its head and commit Organized Labor to some extreme course which would lose for it the confidence and respect of the public, but if this was the object it failed miserably. The matter was considered in open session with representatives of the press present and there wasn't a word uttered that could by any possibility be construed as in temperate or incendiary. The dele gates listened to the reports of their 4L. who are interested in the strike and Secretary Ornburn with close attention and without interruption, evincing their approval at the conclusion of each speakers remarks by applause. Then they proceeded to discuss the matter cooiy and calmly but with determina- tion which bodes i'll for the enemies of Organized Labor in Connecticut.
 The utmost harmony prevailed throughout the convention and it Is evil dent that the Connecticut Federation of Labor is today more solidly organ ized and dominated by greater unity of spirit than ever before in its his tory.
 The faith which the affiliated organ izations have in its officers was demon strated by the reelection of all of them with the exception of one change
 
 made in order to secure representation for one of the most important crafts in the organization, the metal workers, rather than to any lack of confidence in the member displaced, as was evil denced by. the rising vote of thanks passed to the latter for his faithful and efficient service.
 The convention, too, proceeded in the most amicable manner, transacting its business with dispatch under the ad- mirable direction of President Patrick F. O'Meara who again demonstrated his exceptional abilities as a chairman. Personalities were entirely absent and there was no debate that could have been termed acrimonious. In fact the manner in which the convention pro- ceeded was a most impressive proof of the unity which now makes the Con- necticut Federation of Labor a power ful organization
 Among the most important resolu- tions passed was one protesting against the injustice of the strikers arrest in Waterbury copies of which were order-4 ed sent to the Department of Labor at Washington, national state and city officials, including the mayor and super intendent of police; joining with the Metal Trades Association of Connecti- cut in pledging support to the Water bury strikers; protesting against the eviction from the New York General Assembly of five duly elected Social ists as a vicious violation of the right of the ballot; opposing the Kansas Court of Industrial Relations law which abolishes the right to strike; denouncing the oppression of workers under the Lever act and calling for its immedi a+e raDea1. calling for an investigation of State Trade Schools in Connecticut in regard to their conflict with regular trades; calling for the presentation of bill at the next session of the General Assembly declaring election day a legal holiday that workers may have full op- portunity to vote; placing the conven- ton on record as favoring law per- hitting the brewing of zN per cent.
 (Continued on Eighth page.)