Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1921-07-01
NOTES FROM The
AMERICAN FEDERATION
CONVENTION At ogNvEp

federation take steps tn wrest from
Congress the power "a declare war
and make declaration OF war impos.
sthle without referendum, The uaes.
tion went 60 roll eail aud the vote
WAS alta against war only by refer.
endnm and is.SSN Tor the referendum
Ii was an unexpected nght and one
that threw valuable light on the gen
eral attitude toward progressivism OF
the International unions composing
the A. = Of l.
The resolution. introduced by :. II.
Gardner. delegate 90 the Central la.
bor Union Of Ciehurne, Texas, pro.
sided not onss for referendum on dec
laration Of war. by amendment 10 the
United States constitution, but also
provided that those who vote fof war
should b. the hrst 10 he made 10 go
The resolution committee recommend
ed noneoncurrence In the resolution
and made the most OF The unavoidable
proposal OF sending affirmative voters
10 war arst The dehaiers who sup.
ported the resolution. n addition to
The delegates who introduced H. wcre
Roy Burt, San Francisco, laundry
workers. Harry w. Fox. wyoming.
Benjamin Sohlestnger, ladies' garment
workers. Al. D. Sillinaky. tailors, and
Max Hayes. typographical union.
II was declared Lost on tho yive
voce vote, A division, with show OF
hands. showed ISIS against Il and ios
for II A roll call then WAS demanded.
which changes the basis of voting
from one vote Tor each delegate 10
quota for each, depending on the mum
bers he represents
Among the largest International
unions, the following voted aEainsi
the proposal Tor a referendum on war.
lloilermakers. bricklayers. carpenters.
electrical workers. hotel and restau
rant employees, sheet metal workers.
molders, musicians, plumbers. street
car men, seaman. teamEtcrs aud tex
tile workers.
The following big unions voted for
the referendum on war: Blacksmiths
railway clerks. federal employees. Ia.
dies garment workers. machinists
meat cutters and butcher workmen.
and mine workers,
The brewery workers voted half
their votes each way. The carmen
cast i,aao of their 1000 votes for tho
referendum ON war. Martin Ryan and
20 J. Shoemaker voting against H.
One OF the hodcarriers' delegates
voted for the resolution, tho rest
against II, The same was true of
the ionkshoremen hpt the pa1nxess.
The typographical union aplit 4sk
against and 3f2 for the resolution.
The Committee on Resolutions was
overturned again. this time on reso.
luton calling on the government To
re-elassify the civil service, The
committee had recommended noncon.
currence, but delegates from the Ma.
tional Federation OF Federal Employees
who sponsored the resolution, had the
convention with them The vote for
the resolution was almost unanimous.
by unanimous vote tho convention
expressed endorsement OF the union
workers OF Kansas who aro seeking
TO render the Industrial Court law Of
thai state imperative. The resolu.
tion was introduced by John Walker.
president Of the Illinois Federation Of
Labor.
Tho convention evidenced impa.
tience with discussion, invoking the
previous question. shutting on debate
three times during the afternoon. A
resolution by John l., Leheney OF the
Casper tWyo) Trades Assembly. ask.
ing international unions To forego au.
tonomy In the interests OF industrial
unionism. was voted down in this
manner.
The convention adopted resolution
extending aid to the unions OF Mis-
souri, who are trying 10 prevent re.
peal Of the workmen's compensation
act In that state. endorsed the Ohio
workmen's compensation law an q
model for all states and recommended
the enactment OF the jones-Fitzgerald
bill for workmen's compensation In
the District of Columbia.
resolution appropriating $500 TO
be used In Investigations now being
conducted Ia behalf OF Tom Mooney.
the San Francisco labor leader who
IL serving a life term In states prison
In California on what IL admitted to
have been perjured testimony, was
amended by the committee on resolu.
tions 10 an instruction that the Exec
utiye Council do all In It's power TO Sc
cure a new trial or pardon for
Mooney and that all international
unions be called upon to take simi.
lar action and in it's amended form
was adopted without dissent.
The proposal that labor be ex-
empted from the operation OF the
Sherman antitrust law was referred
TO the executive council TO consider II
In conjunction with the entire legis.
latiye program OF the A. r OF l..
Three resolutions providing for the
establishment OF A. r. OF l.. banks In
all the large cities Of the country we're
not concurred In by the convention,
but the executive council was d.
rected 70 have made a survey OF cred
It's and finances with view 10 having
the proxy voting power of the workers
in mutual insurance companies mo-
bilized 10 be used In behalf of the
workers.
The convention went on record as
opposed TO compulsory military train
ing and in favor of the equalization OF
wages for all crafts on the railroads
OF the country. A proposal that a
strike insurance department OF the
A a. f.Var q