Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-12-26

The forepoilng are some of the out
..sndino uoints made by the executive
.ssneiI of the American Federation OF
labor in its report to the fedefatlon
5arty.fourth annual convention, heid
bsre. The report points out that net
gaaf since the Portland, Ore, eonpeh-
ion of 1923 has seen steady Tor
ysard march of organized labor and a
cheering growth of constructive anu
nroeressive thought in the nation.
Organization Gain Is Seen
The year, says the executive
eauneil in its introduction to the re-
mort, has witnessed many dramaue
developments affecting wage earnefS
and the labor movement itself has Wit
messed steady progressive move
ment toward better organization.
great Influence on our whole social
life in all its important aspects.
at is with immense satisfaction
thar we "A the growth of construe-
tive and pAressive thought on every
hand. perhaps the healthiest sign on
our whole horizon. 1t is obvious that
there is today a greater understanding
Of the aims of labor than ever peloIe'
a greater and deeper sympathy win
labor's purposes and aspirations ana
finer spirit of cooperation.
s.E,,Iucaters, to- cite an example,
have arrived at better understand
ing of labor and they have during
the wear more than ever displayed
their deep interest by inquiry at the
Headquarters of the American Fedora
ton Of Labor for information and
counsel, as well as REGARDING meth
ods bv which they might be helnful.
I.abOr's Position Wins New Friends
There has been a marked weaken
ing Of the cold wall of bigoted op-
position on every hand. Labor's po-
sition has won new friends and de-
tenders and has challenged the ad-
miration and sympathy of great num-
bers who have during the year come
to a better understanding OF our
movement.
1T is not only the policy. of our
movement regarding what are gen
orally known as purely labor meas
ures that has won for US this grow
ing understanding and friendship; the
position of our movement on broad
measures of social and industrial
progress has been equally productive
of understanding and goodwill.
Open Shop" Drive Reported in
RetreaH
The militant determination OF our
movement, together with this promul-
CATION of a democratic constructive
policy in our industrial life has re-
suited in the almost complete elm
ination of the so-called "open shop
movement as an aggressive force.
That movement is, of course, not dead,
but it is, and for the past year has
been, in retreat. 1t has been over
come by organized determination
backed by the weight of vastly su-
perior and purely American philos-
ophy. We look with considerable
measure of satisfaction upon the de-
yelopments in this field and we be-
lieye we may safely look forward to
a continuance of that healthy and
constructive trend.
No Standing Still In LabOr's World
In the world of life and labor
nothing is static-there is no standing
still. If we are not to go backward,
We must forge onward. This we have
done during the year just passed and
this We must do in the year to come
with even greater intelligence, deter
mlnation, and vigor We are eaen
day convincing the wage earners OF
our country of the supreme necessity
Of trade union organization. We are
likewise convincing great numbers OF
those who are not wage earners in
similar manner, thus building up a
sustaining body Of opinion for pro-
gressive, democratic, and constructive
effort"
American Labor For Democracy
In section of the report devoted to
aindustry's Path of Progress" the eX-
eeatiye council says:
We take pride in calling attention
IN this report to the declaration in
Guided in our report to the Portland
convention in which was set forth the
pathway along which, we are con-
aneed, the development of industry
and Of industrial freedom must be
sought.
We pointed out the fact that
american labor has from the begin
ning been committed to the ways Of
democracy and that its effort always
has been to develop democratic prac-
uees. In so far as autocracy In IN