The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-06-20

TIE challenge of Lewis was imme
d.a.ely accepted by Samuel Gompers,
fo- thir-y-nine years head of the la
Dor union movement in America.
My name will go before the con-
ven ION and it will not be with
drawn" Gompers said.
Lewis had previously told his closest
ba ekCr5 that he would not announce
his candidacy unless he had enough
votes pledged to insure his election.
Lewis as head of the miners organ
i-a-ion-the. largest union in the
United States-commands 4,257 votes
in his own organization alone. The
United Brotherhood of Carpenters
and Joiners, the second largest union,
has also announced it's intention to
support him. Lewis supporters also
claim the support of the railroad or
Eanizations. The International Asso-
citation of Machinists came to the con-
Vention instructed not to vote for
GOmpers.
John S. Leheney of Idaho brought
to the attention of the convention the
charges regarding the 100000 cam
paign fund. Leheney moved that the
convention appoint a committee to in
vestiEate the charge.
The convention was unable to con-
slider his motion, however, because a
previous motion of adjournment,
which had the right of way in the
conventions proceedings, had been
made. The adjournment motion was
adopted, President Gompers ruled.
a.tho there was a large chorus of
noes" from those who desired that
Immediate action be taken on Lehe-
nc : motion.
The American Federation of Labor
today unanimously protested against
the attitude Of the rev United States
shipping board toward union labor.
Andrew Furuseth, head of the ma
rine workers union. presented a reso-
luton declaring A. D. Lasker head of
the new shipping board, had declared
for an open shop and that agents of
the union would be prevented from
visiting docks and shipping.
The resolution commended the sea-
men for their stand in refusing to ac-
cept such persecution ''The shiSS
ping board. while hiding behind a
smoke screen of union hate, is torpe-
doing the merchant marine. and sea
power of the United States" the reso-
tiOn said
The convention adopted other reso.
lutions favoring:
Providing for a proposal from de.
cisions of the federal civil service of
ficials
Urging adequate housing laws
Resolutions advocating equalization
of rights of white and colored worker.
in union membership were considered
but action was withheld and the meas
ures sent back to committee.
Irish Factions Split.
The Irish factions in the convention
were split over whether or not the
resolution should call for a boycott or
goods made in Great Britain. A ma
Jor ty of the delegates who signed the
petition given the resolution commit
tee asking for a boycott, announced
they had withdrawn the petition.
A telegram from Harry Boland, rep
resentative of Eamonn de Valera, tC
heads of fourteen unions, was made
public by the group opposing the boy
colt. in which Boland was quoted a.
saying that he did not want to inter.
fere with work of the federation, anC
that he would not advocate a resolu.
tion calling for a boycott.
Walsh Fight Boycott.
At the same time another message
purporting to have been signed by Bo
1and, was made public in which tn
Irish leader declared that resolution
must be submitted as written" H
said he was willing to take a licking
II 1t was necessary, but the boycott