Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-06-10
GONPERS VOICES
OPPOSITION. To
INDUSTRY PLANK
Labor Leader Against Kan
saS Court Plan, Unre-
StriCted immigration and
InjunCtionS in Strike Cases

10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED WIREl
Chicago, June 9.-Vigorous op-
position to federal legislation sim
liar to the Kansas Industrial court
measure, to unrestricted immigra-
ton and to the use of injunction
proceedings in strikes was con-
tanned in a set of demands which
Samuel GOmpers and Matthew A.
VOL of the American Federation
of Labor submitted today to the
resolutions committee Of the re-
publican national convention.
Legislation which proposes to
make strikes unlawful or to com
pei the wage carners to submit
their grievances or aspirations to
courts or to governmental agencies,
is an invasion of the rights of the
wage earners and when enforced
makes for Industrial serfdom and
slavery" the statement said, re
garding the Kansas law.
Labor pledged itself, it added to
uphold the federal law protecting
its rights against understandable
issuance of writs Of injunction,
either prohibitory or mandatory.
1T is essential" continued the
statement" that additional legisla-
ton regulating immigration should
be enacted, based on two funda-
mental principles, namely, that the
flow OF immigration must not at
any time exceed the nations ability
to assimilate and AmericaniZe for
eigners coming to our shores, and
that at no time shall immigration
be permitted when there exists an
appreciate degree of unemploy-
ment."
Other demands included:
Immediate relief from high
cost of living burdens; extension of
the farm loan act to give credit to
all properly organized co-opera-
tives and individual farmers; issu-
ance of a monthly statement by the
department of labor on the cost of
manufacture of staple articles;
prompt federal investigation Of
profits and prices and the making
accessible of all income and other
tax returns; observance, enforce
ment and extension of the federal
maximum eight hour law in all
civil departments of the govern
ment; revision Of the federal com
pensatiOn law to care for those not
reached by state laws as well as
sufferers from industrial accidents
and ocCupational diseases; eXclu-
sion from interstate commerce of
products of convict labor; repeal of
the labor provisions of the EsCh-
Cummins law; direct election of
federal judges by the people for
terms not exceeding six years and
action to prevent federal legislation
being held unconstitutional.
The statement also declared
against the use of force by the
United States in Mexico to compel
Mexicans to meet the demands If
persons who purpose to exploit
Mexico's resources.
Mr.. Gompers Vigorouslyi de-
nounced certain provisions of both
the ch-Cummins railroad bill
and the Kansas law as attempts to
take from "laboring people the
right Of ownership to themselves, -
and added that strikes could not
be prevented in this way.
Even in slavery days. he said,
Slaves took a chance and whether
laws are passed making strikes UNI
lawful or not, you are not going to
stop strikes, You are not going TO
prevent men from having hopes
and aspirations Of brighter and
better day. This is not a threat;
it is a statement of fact"
Mr.. Gompers further declared
that there was no excuse at this
time for such laws, because the
country was prosperous and Amer
lean labor was producing more in
dividually and collectively that any
working people on earth. If the
country were commercially bank
rupt, he added, there might be an
excuse for IAN extraordinary con-
dition of affairs and means to
meet them"