Evening star., 1923-11-04

country. The regretable thing is
that in the great work the federation
is doing 1t should be blindly and Bit
terly combated by associations or
employers. And this opposition gets
more than to keep industry continu-
ally disturbed, and to foment and
keep alive class hatred and class
warfare. If there was cooperation,
friendly and far-seeing. this country
and the most prosperous Industrial
nation the world has ever known.
and this prosperity and natton-lead-
ing pre-eminence would not be trace
able to war paralysis IN other ma
tfons and continents.
The executive council Is powerful
enough and resourceful enough to
carry its policies through federation
conventions when there ts opposition.
In addition to thl voting strength OF
the council are also officers, each one
Of these officers is the chairman OF
some powerful convention c2mmittee.
Has Aid OF Able Parliamentarian.
James Duncan. a parliamentarian
and debater Of great ability, has
been for years the chairman OF the
conventions committee on resolu-
tions. and John P. Frey Of the mold
ers has been its secretary. Because
Of the long experience of these two
men the policy of the federation has
in the main been consistent. The
fdealists and the dreamers do not
fare we'll at the hands of this COM
mittee. Thomas A. Rfckert Is the
chairman of the committee on ad-
justment, the committee that handles
all of the disputes between aff1ltated
unions as to jurisdiction over work,
the question that has caused more
trouble In the union and on the Job
in the last twenty years than all the
other problems combined.
The facts herein set forth are Of
fered as additional proof that the
American Federation of Labor is One
Big Union, that its functions and
policies broaden as the needs demand,
and that its executive council is not
the least Of the reasons that make or
this combination Of unions a power
in the land.
A convention Of the American Fed
GRAFTON Of Labor Is as open as pub
lie mass meeting. The attendance 10
limited only by the capacity OF the
meeting place. There Is nothing to
conceal and there has never been an
attempt at concealmert.
Humorous Incident Cited.
One Of the humorous incidents at
every federation convention Is the
industry Of reporting the proceedings
i for individual employers and employ
ers' associations by private detective
aeenties. The industry takes on IT.
+! self two phases. one the summarizing
Of the events, speeches. resolutions.
etc, with especial reference to the
activities of the delegates who take
a prominent place, and the other the
supplying Of the printed daily pro-
ceedings, always ready Tor distrfbu-
tfon on the morning of each succeed
ing convention day. 1t Is usually
represented by the sleuths that this
is q difficult and dangerous job and
pay is demanded In ratio to the as
sumed degree Of bravery required by
the task. The humor Is In the fact
that any one may attend the sessions
of-~the convention and that the only
requirement Is that Of good behavior.
the same as with any delfberative
body. The proceedings may be had
without undue effort and certainly
without danger or risk. No expense
is necessary, for the secretary will
forward the record OF the daily do
ings on request. After the conven-
tion. the corrected daily record In
book form may be obtained from the
federation headquarters In Washing
ton for nominal price. This ex