New-York tribune., 1922-09-14
BY Gilman Parker

The supreme heads of American or
ganized labor, assembled here to con-
slider it's present status In the national
| industrial situation, and to lay down
policies. for its advancement accord.
ingly, to-day covered larger variety
! of subjects than on any previous day
Following is summary Of the days
chief labor developments here:
/ The Executive Council of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor authorized
the federation's fullest support for at
/ tempts to repeal the Kansas and Colo
RADIO Industrial laws, ordered an in
quiry to perfect plan of attack
against the campaign for compulsory
| incorporation of unions, and decided
| to establish a legal information bureau
| to gather such information in litiga-
| tion involving labor, "as will result in
! overturning the mass of precedents our
courts have been establishing by legal
! fictions and assumptions"
| Samuel Gompers, president of the
! Federation, assailed the anthracite
mine operators as utilizing the recent
| strike to profiteer, liquidate surplus
stock and exploit the public and COM
mercialize the suffering of their en-
| ployees."
Council members also the heads of
international unions disclosed there is
nothing new in unions borrowing
money from banks to finance strikes;
one, William d. Mahon, president Of the
Amalgamated Association of Streetcar
| and Electric Railway Employees, as
| serting he had borrowed 100000 in
! 1917 to finance the streetcar mems
strike in New York City.
James Duncan, member Of the coun-
| ell and president of the International
| Granite Cutters Union, after getting
a telegram from Quincy, Mass an
nounced the union had received set
| tlement offer which, if accepted, will
end the strike of 5000 granite cutters
which has beein going on since last
January and on the cutters terms for
81 an hour and working conditions.
/. The progressives in the convention
Iof the International Typographical
Union sustained their fourth and fifth
successive defeats at the hands of the
conservatives, one decision retaining
Secretary Treasurer John w. Hays, as
editor of "The Typographical Journal" J"
and the other eliminating the proposal
for the forty-eight-hou week in daily
newspaper Offices and the forty-four-
hour week in dailies with commercial
departments and weekly newspapers.
Gompers Raps Mine Owners
Probably the most enlivening bit in
the days grist of labor news was Mr..
Gompers's attack on the anthracite
| mine owners. "The anthracite strike,
| which ended in such glorious victory
| for the miners" read his statement,
! us just another example of the power
of the mine owners to exploit the pub
lie and commercialize the suffering of
their employees by forcing them into
| idleness.
"Why didn't the mine owners come
to the same terms last spring? Be-
cause they wanted to liquidate the sur
plus stock; saw chance to rob the
public by profteer1iln,g; violence by the
men arousing public resentment and
government action, weakening the
/ spirit and morale of the men and re-
sulting in the destruction Of PROPERTY,
were all hoped for possibilities
/ "As matter of fact, the mine own
ers had everything to gain and nothing
to lose, realizing as they did that the
poor miners were and always would be
ready and willing to come to honest
terms.
"one hundred and fifty-fve thou
| SSHu rpuSH iheH IN mass struggle,
hungered and sorely provoked for five
months, so conducted themselves that
!. not single arrest was made, and they
bore the sacrifices and hardships with
such a spirit of solidarity and de-
termination that to them should be
given all the credit for victory rather
than. to those seeking political cap
| ital."
The last reference, it was pointed
| friends of President Harding, who
think that efforts put forth by. the Ad-
| ministration should receive o large
share of the credit for settling the
| strike.
The executive council issued the fol-
lowing statement as to it's dealing with
the industrial court and incorporation
issues and the creation of legal in
| formation bureau.
Governor Allen and the Kansas in
dustrial law were subjected to review
by the executive council of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor in session at
the Ambass sador to-day. The executive
council expressed the opinion and CON
| viction that no greater legislative fraud
/ has ever been perpetrated on the Amer
| ican people"
Labor Laws Flayed Il,
| Hc AdAiSdo compulsory laDOT law mas
failed in compelling wage earners to
work when the workers have willed
otherwise. The recent strike Of the
| mlnersSand present strike of the rail
road workers in the State of Kansas,
was pointed to as direct challenge to
| Governor Allen to enforce his law. The
fact that the Governor failed to do so
! is an admission by him that his legis-
latlve achievement is q political fraud
and economic delusion. The executive
| council authorized the fullest support
by the American Federation of Labor
| of the Kansas State Federation Of
Labor, all city central bodies in that
state as we'll as all directly affiliated
unions, and also local unions of az
tliated international unions in their
statewide campaign for the early re-
peal Of this law
The Colorado Industrial Commission
law received like attention and con-
sideration. The Executive Council
looked upon this law as being as OBJ
| noxious and dangerous as the Kansas
4 law. 1t considered that legislation of
this nature can find its equal only
IN The ,nauisiitorial bodies of the dark
ages. when justice was measured by
position and Influence of those coming
before the courts and when workmefi
were considered and treated as slaves
and serfs. The executive council holds
that this form of legislation is un-
warranted. unjustified and unconstitu-
4 tional. It assured the workers and