Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-06-14
They Must Get Closer, He
{ Says, So That They be
! Not Crushed
FOR DISARMAMENT
urged a Commission to Report TO
Congress Plans for. Railroads.&c.,
tai OF 3,9O6,52S Members

Denver, Col, June 14.-,Samuel
Gompe,s opened the forty-first an
}nual convention of the. American
Federation Of Labor yesterday with
Ia call for unity between rhe farmers
lan.i those employed IN mills, mines
and factories and OF railroads.
1.-The enemies of tine. workers in in
llassry." he said. "are at work also IN
SryiE'g to drive back the position Sc
cured by the farmers Of cur country
Gn these past few years. We must get
nearer and closer to the men engaged
in the agricultural work OF America.
The farmers, the men engaged in
agriculture, the men engaged in in
fustry must have a closer alliance
ard cooperation in order that VIC
Shall not be crushed by the reaction
of captains of industry or princes Of
finance.
"You know that THERE is drive be-
ng made to wipe out or to weaken the
kDepalItment of Labor and also to de-
stroy 1.-THE Department of Agriculture.
Think of that Under the pretense OF
trying to create a Department of
Public Welfare, IT is seriously prcpo-
sed to destroy the Department OF La
Dor and the Department of Aga cul
tarre, the cnly two departments in the
government that represent at all the
producers of the wealth of cur co,llsss !!
Try.
MIR. Gompers congratulated organ:z-
asl labor on having successfully with
stood the attacks of the open-shcp
elements.
In the past there has been much
talk of unity of farmers and organic
ed,slaibor. Usually it has been made
without the Federation and more Of
ten than mot 10y persons not in posi-
ton to speak for it. The significance
of today's declaration is 'thGt for the
first time a responsible officer of the
federation made it the keynote OF
his adrfress.
Ranking with this in Importance
were declarations Of the Feoerati ~
thrcugh it's executive council, for gen
eral disarmament and for the ap-
pointment of commission Of Is tct
..vestigate and report to Congress
plans for the handling of the rail
roaGs. This latter scheme, built on the
plan of the Warfield Committee <cf
Railroad Security Owners, calls for
five of the commission to i'e named
hy stockholders in the roads, five by
organized LABOR and five to be ap.
pointed by THE President DO represent
the general public.
The Recommendation for disarma-
ment is supplemented by resolution
presented by Peter J. Brady, in the
name of the Central Trades and La:
Dor Council, of New York, calling foi
conference cf the powers to END
the naval race between the Unlten
States, Crest Britain and Japan. Such
conference. the resolution points ol;
pares the way for direct step in the
direction of general disarmament
The report Of the executive couh-
oil was presented by James Duncan.
Of Quincy. Mass, first vice president
1t covered the many important issues
confronting organized labor - the
'open shop" wage reductions, Irish
question, relations with foreign trade
union movements. anti-labor legisla-
tion, immigration, high r&s1 Of living,
railroad situation and scores of other
major problems. This report with tits
recommendations was immediately re.
ferred to committees for copsidera-
ten.
While the annual report cf SScre-
tary Frank Morrison showed ,hej mem
bership Of the Federation to be 3,90ei-
528, as compared with 4.0,S,74O IT
1920, It was stated that the ranks OF
organized labor had increased, as this
report did not incluGe thcusands Of
members now involved in strikes o.
lcekoats or unemployed
The sesretary's report shc~ss3 that
these had been 1885 strikes during
the year. involving l91. 1874 menloe-S
| costing S,462,l74. The federation de