Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-06-25
.A.F.OFL |. AGAIN
ELECTS COMPERS
Selected President Thirty-Ninth
Time at Annual Convention
in Montreal.
ONE NEGATIVE VOTE CAST
Refusing 10 Heed Veteran Leaders
Plea That $4,000 Year Is Ample,
the Convention Raised His
Salary to $4,000.

Montreal, June 21.-Samuel Com
pers, veteran president Of the Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor was reflect
ed for the thirty-ninth time by the con-
vention here.
Gompers' nomination by George w.
Perkins of the Cigar Makers union
was the signal for prolonged ovation
by the delegates, who stood ana
cheered for several minutes. James
Duncan of Seattle is recorded as cast
ing the only negative vote.
Gompers faced critical issue
threatening his power when the con-
vention came to consideration or It's
position regarding the League Of Ma
TONS
He was overwhelmingly defeated In
Thursdays session when the fedora
ton voted for government ownership
of the railroads.
The committee on international re-
lations is ready to make it's report,
which will call on the convention to de-
mand that the United States senate
ratify the league without reservations.
This is in accordance with President
Gompers' position.
The Irish sympathizers, supported
by other elements, are determined to
prevent this action on the grounds that
the covenant cannot be approved by
organized labor as long as it denies the
Irish people the right of self-determi-
nation.
Refusing to heed Gompers' plea that
$4,000 year is ample, the convention
raised the salary Of the president to
$4,000 a year.
The federation authorized nation
wide campaign to organize all the telc-
phone operators. State declarations,
city central bodies and volunteer or
ganizers are to take the field at once
in the campaign.
The convention declared It's action
was necessary because of the "oppres-
sive anti-labor policy of the Bell Tele-
phone company and its associated COM
panies."
Reconsidering its action of Thurs
day in amending its constitution to In
crease the executive council from IL
to 10 members, the convention rejected
the amendment by vote Of 23,O97 to
1884. This action prevents the cleo
ton Of four additional vice presidents
The fourth Sunday in May Of each
year was designated as labor's Me-
mortal day, on which labor throughout
the country will pay tribute to the
memory of its dead. The churches will
be asked to cooperate in the observ-
ance of Labor Sunday preceding Labor
day in September.
The national steel organizing cam
paign headquarters at Pittsburgh will
not be abandoned While the activities
Of the headquarters staff will be limit
ed until q new national committee is
organized 1t will keep up propaganda
among the steel workers.
Montreal, June is. - Government
ownership, with democratic operation
Of American railroads, was Endorsed
by the American Federation of Labor
convention here after a bitter fight.
At its last session the federation
called upon congress to curb profiteer-
Ing approved the Irish republic" and
requested withdrawal of armed forces
from Ireland.
The federation instructed the execu-
tive council to call conference of all
the interested international unions"
and Immediately start new organic
ing campaign In the steel industry.
The work Of the national steel workers
organizing committee in organizing
SOC, 800 steel workers was approved.
w. D. Mahon, president of the Street
Car Mems union, who was charged by
Detroit labor unions with being dis
loyal to labor" because his adult chill
dren were stockholders in nonunion
tin shop, was unanimously exonerated
by the federation.