New-York tribune., 1920-03-25
Labor Unions Here
Reflect p olitical o
Activity in Nation
htcnsiveC CarnpaignP Program,
Being Mapped Out by
Which Workers Will BE
Guided in the Elections

Unprecedented political activity on
the part Of labor in me Forthcoming
campaign is- presagcd by the prepara-
tions now being made by local trade
unions to make their vote effective.
In Manhattan. Brooklyn and the
other boroughs committees are being
organized along regular party lines to
comb the Assembly and Congressional
districts. Publicity, speaking and or
ganising bureaus are going ahead with
programs for an intensive campaign
both during the primaries and the cleo
ton of candidates for President, Con-
gress, state Legislatures and all other
public Offices.
Hugh Frayne, local organizer Of the
a. +. of l.. and one of Samuel Comp
er's lieutenants, declared that thou
organized labor bodies throughout the
state and nation, outlining the non-
partisan political policy indorsed by the
executive committee of the American
Federation of Labor. The declaration
sets forth that wherever candidates
for reelection have been friendly to
labor's interests they should be 10y
ally supported. Wherever candidates
arc hostile or Indifferent to iabor's
interests they should he defeated and
the nomination and election Of true and
tried trade unionists or of assured
friends should be secured
A list Of candidates for national
Office. both favorable and unfavorablc
to labor's interests, he said, is now in
preparation and will be presented COM
piete at the coming convention of the
a. f. of l.. at Montreal on the first
Monday in June.
Because of its being frowned upon by
the A. F. of l.. leaders, it is not felt
that the American Labor party will
have much weight with the average
trade unionist. 1t is pointed out, how
ever. that the claims of William Kohn,
its head, that 100000 workers arc be-
hind the party within the State of New
York is not impossible. and that it un-
oouotedly will attract q certain radical
element among workers who do not wish
to align themselves with the Socialists.
1t is hardly probable, it is stated, that
the entire membership Of 10000 of the
Central Federated Union will support
the party, as officers of the union have
stated from time to time. What strength
IT will be able to gather will be shown
at the convention of the party next
month at Schenectady
Robert P. Brindcll, president of the
New York City Building Trade Coun-
Gil. said: eve do not believe in a sep
arate political party for labor. We
intend to continue along the lines laid
down by our national leaders, which
have been proved the best"
=. John ?. Coughlin. prcsiden. of the
Central Labor Union of Brooklyn, an
nounced that committee of five had
been appointed to organize the sphere
OF influence Of the labor union, which
included all of Kings and Queens coun-
ties. While there are $4,000 trade
unionists registered in the organiza-
ton, he said that there were no less
than 100000 organized workers in tho
district who are being lined up to pull
many more than that number of votes
Tor the interests of labor.
a fund of $4,000 shortly will be
collected, he declared. for publicity pur-
poses and to enable the union to carry
out the tentative program of organi-
zatlon drawn up. A meeting has been
called for next week, he asserted, to
SCI the wheels Of the program in
motion.