The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1920-04-30

With the amalgamation of the rail-
way brotherhoods and the American
Federation of Labor there will arise
the most powerful labor organization
in the world, with a total membership
of nearly 100000.
These figures were given by Mr.
Gompers:
Eve now have about 100000 mem
bers," said Mr.. Gompers "The
brotherhoods will raise our member
shep to 100000. Our goal then will
be 100000
"Does this new movement Mr.
Gompers was asked, "foreshadow
stronger and more progressive pol
icy?
Il think it is a healthful evolution"
said Mr., Gompers. Il believe the
present solidarity in the ranks of labor
is sound.
More than 1000 locals and seven
teen different railway organizations
will enter the American Federation of
Labor when the final amalgamation
with all the four brotherhoods is com
pleted Mr. Gompers will thereby be
come ex-officio head of all the railway
workers of the United States and will
represent them in all controversies be
tween the brotherhoods and the rail
way companies.
Persons close to the labor movement
regarded the forthcoming amalgama-
ton as the most important event in
the last decade
The Big Four" and the federation
have been at odds for years Many
efforts have been made to bring about
their union with the federation, but
these efforts failed because of the
many jurisdictional disputes within
the railway organizations in which the
executive council under the A. F. Of
L. constitution, would inevitably have
taken a hand The Big Four have
persistently refused to submit to any
control by the executive council and
have remained outside Of the fedora
tion even after the other railway
brotherhoods had joined
More amicable relations between
the A. F of L. and the Big Four
began to develop however, in 1916,
when, with the aid and cooperation
of the federation, the brotherhoods
succeeded in putting upon the statute
books of the United States the Adam
son eight-hour-day law. These rela-
tions grew particularly strong during
1919 in the fight for continued govern
ment control of the railways, the pro-
mitigation of the Plumb plan for rail
way ownership, the failure of the
presidents original industrial confer,
ence and the bitterness aroused as a
result of the coal and steel strikes.
These developments, it is contended,
have facilitated the amalgamation
The union was foreshadowed in Oc-
tober, 1919, when following the fail
ure of the presidents industrial con-
ference, the executive council of the
American Federation Of Labor and the
chiefs of the four railway brother
hoods issued a joint call for a con-
ference of union chiefs in Washington.
In that call it was said that .'funda-
mental principles" upon which organ
lied labor may combat grave dangers
affecting the very foundations Of its
structure" were to be discussed.
/ Farmers organizations also were in
vited to attend. This conference,
which convened December 13, promul-
gated "a bin Of rights" in which it de-
nounced the governments injunction
against the miners in the coal strike,
demanded continuation Of the govern
ment's control Of railways for another
two years and assailed bitterly any
and all proposals for curtailment OF
the right to strike One hundred and
nineteen international unions We're
represented. But while the session