New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-11
oliice Qplell
Riot as Labor
L orl11s Union
Heads and Furniture Are
Broken as Gompers Or.
ganizes Central Trades
Body; 2 Knocked Ont

About 800 delegates, representing the
100000 union members of this city, for
merly affiliated with the Central Fed
Grated Union of the various boroughs,
met in stormy session at the Central
Opera House, POS East Sixty-seventh
Street, last night to form a single fed
Grated body, the Central Trades and
Labor Council of Greater New York
and Vicinity.
The council was declared organized
at l o'clock this morning, but in the
process heads and furniture had been
broken, the reserves called out and the
resources of Samuel Gompcrs, president
of the American Federation of Labor,
and Hugh Frayne, his lieutenant, taxed
to the utmost
The formation of single federated
body for the five boroughs in place of
the Central Federated Union and other
similar organizations has been the pet
scheme of Mr.. Gompers ever since the
radical element in some of the borough
organizations threatened to become UNI
controllable. He put the plan through
with no litsle difficulty and came him
self to preside at the organization
meeting.
Gompers Assails Reactionary Forces
1t was evident that the veter ran labor
leader was not without misgivings as
the meeting opened, for the credentials
of all delegates were scanned with un-
usual attention. Mr. Gompers began
by denouncing the forces of reaction
and declaring that organized labor was
on it's guard and would resist to the
utmost any attempt to reduce wages.
A resolution was introduced and
adopted placing the gathering on rec
ord as in favor Of extending moral
and financial support to the B. r. T.
strikers. 1t was an opening for which
the rabid partisans of special issues
had been waiting eagerly.
At once a man was on his feet with
a resolution urging the release of
Mayor MacSwiney of Cork. The reso-
luton was adopted with tremendous
DIN and some scuffling here and there
in the hall. Mr.. Gompers made no
comment, but began to pound with his
gavel.
Fight Over Aid to Russia
At the first moment of comparative
quiet it was seen that score of dele
gates were on their feet excitedly
waving their arms to attract the atten-
ton of the chair. One of them, catch
.nC Mr. GomperS's eye, began to de-
claim breathlessly, in high-pitched
tones, a proposal to send a cable mes
sage to Robert Smile, head of British
railway workers, urgings British labor
to force the withdrawal of British
troops from Soviet Russia
That proposal precipitated bitter
fight. Fists, chairs, cuspidors and any
thing else that came handy were used
as weapons. Mr.. Gompers smashed a
gavel and yelled himself hoarse trying
to restore order. When things had
quoted down a bit he declared, brand
ishing fresh gavcl
There is no one here authorized to
send cable on an international ques-
ton without first securing the approval
of the executive council of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor"
There were some boos and catcalls
at this, which caused a brief resump-
ton of hostilities, and then the meet
ing proceeded to the selection of a
suitable name. This discussion caused
tremendous uproar, in which Mr.
Gompers broke another gavel without
attracting the least notice. For more
Continued on next paae)