Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-07
"A. F. |. DENOUNCES
| USE OF FOOD LAW
IN MINERS STRIKE
Five Hundred Delegates
Present When Convention
Opens at Montreal.
BY tir Associated Press.

BY ti. Associated Press.
MONTREAL. June Any attemp,
to enforce coalp.i sorry labor 10y max :
ing strikes unlawful mus Ire resisted
a: all costs, s4a.;i.l trJmp-rs pr,,si-
d,nt of the ..:,cr.';t FeG "a ion al
La Dor. declared ;oaay ~ h.s address
at the opening o. the Celebration :
fortieth annua! convention.
More than $50 delegates we're present
wnen the convention was sailed TO order
The opening OF the convention was
preceded b.. labor parade To the st.
Dennis Thea;er. where the sessions
are beng held. After short religious
service adore ses of welcome were de-
HNerad b. repreSrntafv ives of III
DOMINION GOV ernmeni. provincial soy =
ernment. Cay OF Montreal Trades Com
ell and LABOR Congress of canada Alt-
1ehIn GaitNr2Uii. minister OF puali
works ana labor Of Quebec. s9o;-c "a
sha prov ne. President CONNER, r.
> "a 10 III" welcome :tddr,..>e .,l,,t
-o"maNI oprned the com.e-tl.on uu.; :
i.eSs session by reviewing ;i3A NLr u ,
sues involved. H. la.u parI.edia~
4ti'ess on The enforcement. Of = u,u-
partisan labor policy.
NOhub ~ NuIrucO.
] lie Will leave tonight for Chicago to
IA! before the republican national
resolutions committee labor's desires
IN political reform. In his absence
Ma thew Vol. vice president, probably
will preside -
Delegates from the Pacific Coast
Metal Trades Council announced they
would renew the fight begun at At
lantic city last year In obtain un-
qualified Endorsement of the plumb
plan for railroad control, Glenn E
fiumb VIII arrive later this week tn
address the delegates
Denunciat!on of bolshevism. profiteer-
lhs' 'he action Of the United states gov
eminent in invoking the food control
law against the late miners strike
and the failure of the american Con
sress 10 take action to control the
cost OF living are among the out
standing features of the annual re-
port or the executive council Of the
American Federation of La Dor pre-
sented today. =
With the councils review of organ
lied labor's position and activities for
the last year was also presented "a
specific program for remedy"
The Cummings railroad law was
denounced. as was the Kansas law
establishing the court of Industrial
relations, The high cost OF living wa.
ioiu idtS we uUOT OF DIX
Drontre"s." while the report declared
the United States governments. prin-
cipal!y through the Department OF
Justice. has conducted ascampaign Of
Cut Appropriations Depiored.
Congress was assailed for cutting
appropriations designed To carry on
the work of the collateral branches
of the Department of Labor and for
various proposals such AS the sedition
bill. which the report says the labor
feating.
In it's references to the foreign field.
the report denounced what 1t char
acterized as propaganda for American
in Mexico and declared
that the executive council sees mo
for interference" which
it argues would be in the interest "of
the exploitation of its workers, and
it's boundless wealth Of oil and min
erals
The United States Steel Corporation
was assailed for its refusal to deal
with labor organizations in the recent
strike, and the authori-
ties Of Boston also were denounced
for their attitude In the celebrated
strike Of policemen in that city.
The workmen Of Canada were con-
for defeating the one big
union" idea and their stand was char
acterized as "a magnificent triumph
for trade unionism. and vindication
81 the purposes. policies and achieve
ments of the American Federation OF
Labor"
The Industrial conferences called by
President Wilson were characterized
as unsuccessful because ''the employ
srs stubbornly resisted every attempt
At conciliation" and would not ac-
,ept any resolution on collective bar
gaining unless 1t was SO worded as
10 be anti-trade union in spirit and to
provide encouragement and support
FOR company unions" The machinery
proposed by the second conference.
the report attacks. as In many re-
spects actually pernicious."
Proposes SPECIFIC Remedies.
Existing machinery. the report de-
clares sis superior in every respect"
AS program of specific remedy
for existing conditions the councils
report proposes the following:
I'VE demand that the government
be authorised to buy standard COM
.ubd.ttes direct from producers and
that these commodities be distributed
through regular retail channels at a
retail, price to be fixed, by the gov
ernrient.
1--WE demand that--this power be
made use OF as a corrective for profit
eerinp and we call attention to the
fact that the government has estab-
lished precedent for such action in
its sales of surplus war supplies.
we .deniaad that the federal gov
through the internal reve-
nue. department ascertain the amount
of excessive war profits eNtorted from
the American people during the years
1916. 1917, 1919, 1919 and 1920, and
that these excessive war profits be
taken through its taxing power by
the federal government and applied to
the extinguishment OF the floating
debt Of the government and to the
partial retirement of liberty bonds at
par in order that the existing inflated
be reduced and that the government
may carry out its sacred obligation
to the people to maintain its liberty
and victory bonds at par.
"Co-operation should he encour-
aged as an effective means OF curb
ing profiteering. TO stimulate rapid
OF co-operatives the fed
eral farm loan act should be extend :
ed SO as to give credit to all proper
ly organized co-uperatives. just al
credit il now given to individual
farmers. Cooperation i. no less
vital and worthy Of support than are
the railroads, which were given hum
drads of millions Of dollars and ar
area Of land equal to New England
to facilitate their establishment
There should be. legal enactment tc
protect. co-operatives against dis
BY manufacturers and
" h ole saleIs
Control Of Credit.
control Of credit capital by those
whose chief, interest is the cumula :
ton OF profits results inevitably i'm
IN. open door for profi.esring. We
=: epsa: and emphasize the demand of
.rsa aized labor that control of credit
b. taken from the hands of private
ina nciers and placed in the hands
or "A pubic agency 20 he admins
erred b. voluntary and cooperative
m ethods.
I've urge that the United States
of Labor compile and Is