The Washington times., 1921-06-25
|P. P.J.RYAN ACCEPTS
G0MPERS' DEFY TO
Cite NONSUPP0RT
CONTINUED from First pase)

tTy hFoui 8ettuB INTO uio "
alien and nonunion labor, and. as
member OF the Plate Printers Union.
but representing the Maryland state
and District of Columbia Federation
of Labor, accompanied the delegate
from the Plate Printers international
Union to the San Francisco conven-
tion.
The Holder resolution was intro
duced In the convention, and, At the
instigation of Mr.. Gompers. Was re-
ferred to the committee on executive
councils report, instead OF TO the
committee on resolutions, where II
properly belonged. l had some diff
Guilty in locating the resolution. be-
cause I was Knocking at the right
room--or what should have been the
right door--and IL was not until i
met one Of tho members of the COM
mittee on executive councils report
that located II.
~ might as we'll be plain about II,
now charge that II was referred
TO that committee for the purpose OF
killing II: but there were friends OF
the resolution on the COMMITTEES. and
they worked. and did their best to
help the plate printers. The reso-
luton was reported adversely from
hhdt SoBlHtitloc On iNoNVtbDos- 80 A'%~f
and Mr.. Gompers did not say one
word in it's favor, notwithstanding
the fact that prior thereto he had
had a conference with members OF
the Plate Printers' Union at Atlantic
city upon this Identical question; and.
added to that, In company with some
OF the plate printers, he visited New
York and waited on the president OF
the American Bank Note Company
for the purpose of advocating tho
very object embodied in the Holder
resolution.
LETTER PROVES INTENTION.
According to q letter signed by
George J. Clsary. now one Of
the assistant foremen of the Bureau
of Engraving and Printing. Mr.. Com
pers stated upon his return to Wash
ington after this conference that
every means would be employed to
safeguard the interests Of the plate
printers.
"At that time. Mr.. Gompers was
working for tho indorsement Of a
which was passed in a con-
vention of the International Steel and
Copper Plate Printers Union at Chi
cago. about three years prior to the
San Francisco convention of the A. II.
OF l., in 1915, dealing with the same
question The Identical principle was
involved In the two resolutions-the
OF the American plate
printing industry in this country.
when an effort was being made 10
have the work done by private con-
ccrn in Cuba, by aliens. and for the
benefit of foreign capital.
"The convention at San Francisco |
did not adopt the reverse report of
the committee on executive councils
report upon the Holder resolution
although II was traditional that the
of that committee,
which was dominated by Mr.. Com
pers. were rarely not concurred in.
THE resolution was extremely pop
ular in the convention and I was con-
graduated on all sides when I got
what Is called hrst blood out of that
Upon motion Of a dele
gate from the committee. the resolu-
tion was referred by the convention
to the executive council of the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor.
INSTRUCTION TO GoMPERs
TT was conceded by the opponents
of the measure, who were delegates
to the convention, that the refusal of
the convention to adopt the commit
tee report, and referring the matter
to the executive committee. was
tacit Endorsement of the resolution.
This was agreed to by the delegates
from the Plate Printers and myself
at the time. because 1 believed that II
was an instruction to Mr.. Gompers
and his associates of the executive
council that they should abide by and
perform tho will Of the convention, and
should do their best to protect the
plate printing industry in tfs United
States and the members Of union la
Dor engaged in that Industry.
while the resolution. was being
discussed by the delegates to the
Delegate Andrew Furu-
secretary to the committe on execu-
tive councils report, who was op-
posed to tho resolution, used the fol-
lowing language land quote from
the stenographic notes OF the oficial
reporter of the convention): T pre-
sumo that the executive council OF
the American Federation OF Labor
will. after the convention has tacitly
adopted certain principle, feel
bound to carry out that principle as
far as they can" Chairman McCul-
Tough, of the committee, who was
also opposed to the resolution. stated
that by referring the resolution to
the executive council, the convention
had "tacitly, tentatively. and inn
liedly" indorsed II. Remember that
the chairman and the secretary wer-
the appointees OF Mr.. Gompers, and
that they were appointed because OF
his confidence In them.
KNEW GOMPERs' ATTITUDE.
Notwithstanding the popularity OF
the resolution, II was Mr.. Gompers'
personal recommendation that decided
the matter in the executive council,
and prevented II from being fully
Indorsed an the floor OF the
convention. I agreed with the dele
gate from the Plate Printers Union
TO allow the matter to be referred to
the executive council OF the A. r. OF
L.. because II was thought that the
plate printers and union labor had
friends on that committee, and be-.
cause I knew OF Mr.. Gompers' atti- |
tude on a similar resolution to which |
have referred, which was identical |
In substance. II not in words, with the
Holder resolution.
"In February 1Q1a I wa aited on mr. |