The Connecticut labor press., 1920-03-13
Great Non-Partisan Political Machine Rapidly Being Organ ized to Boost Your Friends" Into Places of Opponents-856 Central Bodies to Name 4,280 Special Committeeman on March %.

Preparations for vigorous national political campaign are being made by the American Federation of Labor on a non-partisan basis. Nearly one en- tire floor of the A. +. of L. building in Washington will be occupied by the headquarters force. This space Is to be available in a few days, when the International Association of Machlnists move across the street into their new building.
 A call has been sent out by authority of the executive council of the Fed eration to each of the $50 central labor bodies in the United States to hold special meetings on Monday, March 2, for the purpose of selecting local central committees to cooperate with the national committee in Washington. These committees are to consist of five members each, with total of 4,28O.
 Tn addition, each ot the AS State Federation of Labor branches will form active political committees, and these will no doubt be further aug mented by committees of the llZ 1rl- ternational and national unions.
 This plan is expected to create for organized labor the largest and most effective political machinery ever formed in the United States. i. It will be composed of volunteer workers and in this respect and many others be very much superior to, the paid machine workers of the old political parties.
 The Federation expects to raise fund 10 defray expenses by voluntary per capita assessment upon the affiliated membership. This money will be used foe distributing printed literature, speakers, rent of halls and other items nf character.
 The labor record of each member 1of the present Congress, senators and representatives, is being carefully com piled and will be furnished every mem Der and friend of organized labor.
 Particular attention will be given to the selection of candidates to oppose those whose records are bad and are standing for reelection. Where neither old party presents a candidate accept able to labor, independent candidates are to be placed on the ticket in the general election next November.
 First on the list of specifications as to the fitness of present members of Congress to reelection will be his re corded vote on the Cummins-Esch rail- road bill.
 The roll call of the House and Sen ate furnishes an authentic guide on this subject. Those who voted for the bill (which included all of Connecticut,s representatives, are unfriendly to la bor. while those who voted against are in the main considered friendly to the workers.
 Including the four railroad brother hoods, there are approximately 5,OOO,- GOO union labor voters in the United States, and a majority of the 1000, 900 organized farmers will cooperate in this campaign.
 In it's issue of February 7 Labor printed a first-page editorial under the caption. of "Wanted-Two Hundred Workers and Farmers III Congress" This has become the slogan all over the country. The editorial was made the subject of hrst-page news articles in many of the daily papers and was reproduced in its entirety by more than 200 labor and farm papers.
 This week the executive council ot the American Federation of Labor IS holding meeting in Jacksonville, Fla, where details of labor's non-partlsan political campaign are being worked out. So important was this considered by President Gompers and his CO., workers that it was deemed exped1ent to hold meeting away from Wash ington, where members of the council would not be detracted by interrup- lions in making a survey of the na- tional political situation.