Evening star., 1923-10-01
S1S3,M.28 TOTAL
IN LABOR TREASURY
Defense Fund Report Made
to A. r. uf {. Convention,
Which Opened Today.
By the Associated Press.

PORTLAND, Ore, 'A,cloptr IL He
defense fund Of THE American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor, amounts to sls3,-
as4.oS, Secretary Frank Morrison report.
ed TO the annual convention Of the. or.
ganization today, with. about st0, 90 held
in a special fund for general expenses.
He set the tal"reeetpts for thssyear
and total expenses at 366239S.
Total membership OF the federation
was announced as, 2,926,46s. showing
loss for the fourth consecutive year,
twelve months. The high water marx
OF membership was attained in ls2e,
when tho rolls of affiliated unions
numbered 4.07S,740.
Report OF -Expenditarea.
:" Details of the expenditures report
showed the following items: OrganiZ-
ors' expenses and salaries, slSa'Sls'
legislative expenses. including sal
aries of three Legislative committee
men, S19.3Sl: salaries at headquarters
e156.U00: strike and lockout beneiltS'
S36,629. approximation to United Mlne
Additional Contributions" made
were $500 To assist ,tle, Kansas state
federation in efforts to repeal the
state industrial court law. $6:sss 10
United Textile Workers. Quarry
Workers Union and granite cutters.
fNV
non-partisan campaign fund.
"Of a total voting strength OF oo,4so'
based on the average membership re
ported or paid upon to the federation
by the 1oS aftiliated unions, .he Cm,ea nte
the United Brotherhood Of Carpenters
and Joiners being second with S,l50.'
with 500 and more delegates in at
tendance. fifty news correspondents
present and practically al. outstana-
},a no labor
nent here today. the annual cohveh-
ton Of the, American Federation OF
Labor was ready to swing into ac1lon.
the Initial program today was CIV
en-. over largely to formal opening
exercises. Addresses Of welcome were
scheduled by Gov Walter Pierce and
Mayor George l.. Baker. Re sponses
were to be made by President sam
uel GomperS OF the federation and
other leaders in the labor movement
The galleries OF the municipal au-
ditorium. where the session will be
held. were thrown open to the pupiic
today and throughout the convention
according to announcement by Presl-
dent Gompers.
We want all to attend. friends and
opponents alike" he declared.
John L. Lewis. head OF the United
Mine Workers. is expected to arrive
tomorrow.
Plan 10 Organize steel Workers.
Plans for carrying out. an active
campaign organizing the 100000
workers in the steel industry We're
announced by William Harmon, sec
.retary of the executive council of the
national and international unions of
the steel industry.
ment, at least S1,000.000 will be avail
able for the campaign. which is to be
supported by all labor unions affiliat-
ed with the federation.
.r,,, To,
non said. "is to bring about the uni
;versal eight hour day in the steel in
dustry and the 100 per cent unioniza-
ton of the workers"
Executive Councils Report.
3 Development of an industrial franchise
comparable to our political franchise
must be the next goal Of the labor
American Federation declared today In
Its report TO the convention. Warning
of the threat Of state invasion of in
dustrial life." the council asserted that
the hour has stack for ~ pronounce
ment OF the aims of labor that shall
more nearly express the full implica-
tions Of trade unionism."
1.-The close of the war marked for us
the report said, "and threw forth in
bold relief the iAsdequacy of existing
forms and institutions. Henceforth the
movement for orGanization of the work.
meaning than the mere organization of
groups for advafcement Of group in
terests. 81
I'VE advocate organization of all
wage earnerS and of all useful and
productive elements. Labor now par
that shape human Efe thaI ever be-,
fore and more fully America than
in any other nation on earth; but our
participation must be gradually
brought TO completion, The pur-
pose of this is not only the command
ing of better wages and better condi-
tions of work. vital as those are and
have been. The purpose that now
unfolds' is~ broader and. nobler and
flled with deeper meaning
Industry must Organize. to govern
itself. to impose upon itself tasks and
rules and to bring order.into it's own
house. Industry must bring order
to itself constructively. or it Will have
an order thrust upon H. which would,
be demoralizing if not fatal.
Agriculture was urged to join In
the next developing step, although
the council denied that it wished to
offer "unasked advice to those who
occupy other fields in our productive
life" It urged that the federation
continue to cooperate in every way
with organized farmers.
Both the fascist and Ku klux Klan
movements were condemned by the
council as hostile to the purposes of
organized government and the trade
union movement" With regard to
the Khan. the report said:
This secret organization promotes
d1scord among our people and strife
within the ranks of organized labor,
seeks to destroy the cherished Ameri.
can principle OF religious freedom and
tolerance and purposely fosters racial
prejudices. The Klan seeks also to
take into its own hands the adminis-
trat1on or punishment, thus setting
itself up as superior to government"
EFFORTS to promote. fascism in the
United States was denounced "as
institutions and particularly to our
american trade union movement"
Relating to immigration. the repor,
says: The convention is urged in
me strongest terms possible to point
out to Congress the danger to Arneri-
can institutions If irnrnisration il not
restricted to greater extent than is
provided In the present law.
Ihe federation should Cooperate
with and participate in every effort
TO solve the problem of the business
cycle with recurring periods OF un-
employment. We have no hesitancy
In emphasizing that the most potential
FACTOR against unemployment Is re-
sistance to wage reductions"
The council feels that the proposed
establishment of a central labor
bank in Washington at this time lis
not only impracticable, but undesir-
able but urges expansion of the
present system of special labor banks
and credit facilities.
The Supreme Courts minimum
wage decision is held to have greatly
weakened the protection to women
in industry. 1t is a. demonstrated
fact, however, that women are per-
manently in industry as wage earn
ers," and the fundamental considera-
eion ,in their protection now lies in
thorough organization.
'The 'un-American' scheme to
establish the so-called open shop
really has had the effect of uniting