Evening star., 1921-02-23
GOMPERS OUTLINES
VITAL UNION ISSUES
Addresses 200 Delegates at
Opening Of Labor Confer /,
ence Here.

Issues Of the most serious charac-
ter affecting our people and our repub-
lie" are faced by organized labor. Sam
uel Gompers. president of the American
Federation Of Labor. declared here to-
day in a statement at the opening Of
the extraordinary conference Of repre-
sentatives of national and international
unions.
ut is not possible to forecast the
manner in which the conference will
deal with these issues" he said. but it
is certain that the thought expressed
will be for the benefit Of our country
and for the advancement Of the interests
standards and freedom Of our people.
The issues ''in the main are known
to all. though not understood by an.
said Mr.. Gompers. adding that our
concern is for the democratic institu-
tions OF our country and for the safe
guarding of our freedom wherever those
things NAV be attacked, whether the at
tacks are made by plutocratic reactloh
or by the insidious propaganda OF Euro
pean insanity"
Issues Are Outlined.
In opening the conference Mr.. Com,
pers outlined the issues before IL anu
submitted the Recommendations OF
the executive council, details OF
which. il was stated, will not be made
public until they have been acted
upon.
Attending the conference were more
than 200 representatives or orgahiZeo
Ia bor from over the country.
1t is expected that the executive
council will lay before the assembled
international union representatives
plan for an educational drive alons
'.union shop" lines. to onset open
shop, publicity. The funds needed for
such a campaign will be necessary
only to cover the expenses OF con-
Quoting a central Office for dissemina-
ton of literature and possibly for d.
rection of a corps of speakers.
ture for such would not reacn very
high figure
Objects of Gathering Stated.
The purpose of calling the execu-
tive heads and representatives OF tne
affiliated internationals to this city, IT
was explained, was to present to
them the program outlined by the
executive council and to obtain their
approval for the campaign.
This act alone. il is claimed, demon
strates the Importance and signin-
cauce attached to the campaign. AL
though the executive council has
power to map out Industrial battles
for labor and to put them into exc
cution. provided that the expense in
Cured can be extracted from funds
on hand it is outside the councils 8
,rrisdiction to raise funds for a big
campaign without the approval of the
annual convention.
Therefore any "anti-open shop" fund
would not be provided by the American
E,sderation of Labor. as such, it was
stated but by the big international
un;ons who will reap the greatest
haneNt from a successful campaign OF
such a type.
Informal Conferences Held.
Corridors and anterooms at the
Federation building today were filled
with informal conferences taken par,
in by nationally recognized heads In
various lines of organized labor's
| forces.
survey of industrial conditions
! throughout the country was being
| taken by labor leaders. production
| ia less than 60 per cent normal
| said John L. Lewis, president of the
| United Mine Workers of America
i .eThe coal mining industry has been
| esnecially hard hit. We have 100, ,000
men who have not done any work
! since the first Of the year. The min
ers that are working are only get
| ting two to three days a week"
! Michael Tighe. president OF the
! AmaIgamated Association of Iron
| Steel and Tin Workers, and the lead
er of the committee for the reor-
ganization campaign among steel
| workers. said he had never seen con-
| ditions so bad. but added tha. he
believed the worst will sosn be over
as some OF the mills al starting