The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-14
UNION MOVEMENT
 HELD INTACT, SAYS SAMUEL GOMPERS
Closer Alliance Between Or ganized Industrial Workers and Farmers Urged By
 Veteran Leader
By Associated Press

Samuel Gompers, addressing ths opening session of the forty-flrst an- nual convention of the American Federation of Labor here today, de- ciared that the enemies of labor and the advocates of the "open shop" had failed to crush organized labor and that the ranks of the American trades union movement held intact Similar sentiments were expressed in the report of the executive councll of tho federation
 year of progress was predicted for 1921 President Gompers 4e- claring that before the next snow falls we shall have passed the 5,00o.- 900 marks in the American Fedora ton of Labor"
 Closer alliance and co-operation between the organized industrial workers of the country and the far mers was urged by the veteran la- Dor leader in order that we shall net be crushed by the reaction of industrial captains or princes of fi- nance"
 The first official action of the convention was to adopt a resolu- ton to be submitted to Congress protesting against the Scott bill now pending, which it was alleged woul increase the length of the naviga- tion season on the Great Lakes, re- duce the number of skilled seamen employed on ships and increase the hours of labor. This action was pro- posed by delegates of the Interna- tional Seamen's union, who declared that the bill would eliminate pub- lications of the seamen's act.
 Asks Aid for Pueblo
 The convention unanimously adopt ed a declaration of the executive council calling upon all local and in ternational unions to aid the Pueblo flood sufferers. Tho Plate Printers union of Washington, D. C.. and the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks, it was announced, had each contributed $500.
 Urging world wide disarmament in his address at the opening of the convention, President Gompers said.
 "I believe that the time will come and we have earnestly striven and we will continue to strive for the time when there shall be total dis- armament in all the countries of the world and that disarmament will be based upon universal agreement"
 He made an appeal to the workers to unite in opposition to the move ment designed to create department of public welfare.
 Under the pretense of trying 10 create department of public wet fare, it ss seriously proposed, to de stroy the department Of labor ana the department of agriculture. he said No one can foreteli where re action leads As matter of fact these are the only two departments in the government of the United States that represent at all the pro- ducers of the wealth of our country. and 1t is seriously proposed to destroy these two departments
 Urgeu Moderation
 The labor leader urged the dele gates to discuss the questions con fronting the. convention with mod- eration, with interest, with intelli- gence. with intense feeling, always driving at the just point"
 While we love every human be : ing" he added, mo matter where he may have been born or where he now resides, and will help as best we can. there is one principle from which I fear we cannot depart America first"
 President Gompers paid a high tribute to the memory of John Col den, former president of the United Textile Workers, and Milton She'll ing. president of the Steam and Cr- erating Engineers union, who have died during the last week. At his re- quest the delegates and visitors stood in silent meditation for one minute.
 The report of the executive coun- cil was presented by James Duncan r,f lire vi orf It covered the many important issues confronting organized labor--the open, shop, wage reductions, Irish ques- ton, relations with foreign trade un ion movements, anti-lab Legislation immigration. high cost of living, rail- road situation and scores of othef major problems. This report with it's recomm mendations was immediately referred to committees for consid- eration.
 Year of Progress
 'The coming year must be a year of progress said the document. The blight of reactionary effort has bitten as deeply as possible It has been checked. Our movement every where must now rally to militant offense against the powers that have sought our ruin."
 While the annual report of Secre- tary Frank Morrison showed tn. membership of the federation to bs 3.9o6,52S. as compared with 4.07S,740 in 1920, 1t was stated that the ranks of organized labor had increased a ] this report did not include thousands of members now involved in strikes or lockouts or unemployed.
 The secretary's report showed that there had been 1885 strikes during the year. involving 191,934 m members costing sS.462,l74. The fed eration defense fund showed bal ance of S161217