The Washington herald., 1922-06-11
Convention Votes Dow n
Plan for Affiliating
With Metal Trade.
REBUKED FOR TALK
AGAINST ARCHITECT
Bricklayers' Chief Says
A. F. of L. Head Does
Not Know Facts.

CINCINNATI, June 10.-Samuel
Gompers' efforts to harmonic and
solidify organized labor met with
a decisive rebuff and rebuke here
today at the bands of his own col
leagues in the American Federation
of Labor.
By an almost unanimous vote
the convention of the building
trades department of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor rejected
a harmony recommendation made
to if by Gompers as a means OF
bringing back into the departmen nj
the Brotherhood of Carpenters and
Joiners, who refused to affiliate be-
cause Of a jurisdictional dispute
with the Sheet Metal Workers.
Following this, the convention
unanimously indorsed the national
board OF jurisdictional awards
which Gompers attacked in con.
nection with report that the
American Institute of Architects
one of whose members is chairmet
of the board. had declared for the
open shop.
OOmpefn Ahhahe0.
The rebuff to Gompers followed
day of heated fighting. during
which Gompers was accused to his
face on the convention floor OF
trying to put up a smoke screen
and was told that he had been i'm
posed upon.
The days action virtually marked
the end of efforts to get the car
penters and joiners back into the
fold of the building trades depart.
ment Coming as 1t did on tn,
very eve of the American Fedora
| tion of Labor convention which
opens Monday. this action by tn,
building trades was disturbing {,
| leaders. who have been stressini
vigor.
Gompers wanted the buildin,
trades 10 agree to a reopening by
the turisdictional board-composet
| OF three union representatives anf
six employers-of the dispute be
tween the carpenters and the meta
workers. He said II the jurisdic
tional board would not agree tc
| that the department should -'cut
loose from the whole dirty con
| cern."
Meets second Rebuff.
E. J. Russell. chairman of TIT
board. is an architect. Gomper,
told the convention the America,
| Institute of Architects had urge,
the board to declare for the oper
shop. and asserted he would no
blame the carpenters II they re
fused to submit their case to tn,
adjudication OF tribunal on which
sat representatives of the open shol
| idea.
William J. Bowen. internationa
| president. of the Bricklayers' Union
told Gompers he was putting up Z
smoke screen. had been imposed OF
and did not know the facts. He
said Russell was a staunch friend
of the unions. This was concurret
In by Secretary William ]. Spencer
Of that department and other dele
gates. Spencer was ordered by tn,
convention 60 find out whether q
was the American body of archi.
tects or merely a Chicago chapter
that took the action referred to.
supreme Court Under Fire.
The convention then spent hour.
debating the course. Speeches N
support of and in opposition to the
jurisdictional board were deliveret
with great heat. In the end, with
out a record vote, the convention
stood by the board, which has re.
fused to, reopen the case.
The executive council of the A. F,
OF l., in a meeting late today, au-
thorized inclusion in its report "a
the convention of critical comment
on the Coronado decision of the
Supreme Court Gompers will write
this.
At. the convention of the Interna.
tional Labor Press. tomorrow
Mathew woll, in charge of the La.
Dor Press, will present report as
sailing w. 2, Foster. radical leader
Foster, Wolfs report declares, Is
seeking to apply "the autocratic
doctrine to the labor press. that a
minute minority should control the
great. sluggish masses of workers
Labor should combat this. Vol
said. S.'