Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-06-25
A,F. OF |, AGAIN
ELECTS COMpERS
Selected President Thirty-Ninth
Time at Annual Convention
in Montreal.
ONE NEGATIVE VOTE CAST
Refusing to Heed Veteran Leaders
Plea That $4,000 a 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 re-elect-
ed for the thirty-ninth time by the con-
vention here. D
Gompers' nomination by George w.
Perkins of the Cigar Makers union
was the signal for a prolonged ovation
by the delegates, who stood and
cheered for several minutes. James
Duncan of Seattle is recorded as cast
ing the only negative vote
Gompers faced a critical issue
threatening his power when the con-
vention came to consideration of its
position regarding the League of Ma
tions.
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 a nation
wide campaign to organize all the telc-
phone operators. State federatious,
city central bodies and volunteer or
ganizers are to take the field at once
in the campaign.
The convention declared its 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 II
to 15 members, the convention rejected
the amendment by vote Of 23,097 to
1884 This action prevents the elec-
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 new national committee /:
organized it win keep up propaganda
among the steel workers.
Montreal, June IS. - Government
ownership, with democratic operation
of American railroads, was indorse,
by the American Federation of Labo
convention here after bitter fight
AT its last session the federation
called upon congress to curb profteel
ing, approved the Irish republic" an
requested withdrawal of armed force
from Ireland.
The federation instructed the execr
tive council to call conference of a
the interested international unions
and Immediately start a new organi;
: ing campaign in the steel industr,
. The work of the national steel worker
;. organizing committee in organizin
: 3O0,500 steel workers was approved.
w. D. Mahon, president of the Stree
Car Mems union,' who was charged
) Detroit labor unions with being "di
loyal to labor because his adult chi
8 dren were stockholders in a nonunio
tin shop, was unanimously eXonerate
by the federation