The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-10-20
CONVENTION OF
|. ". ". TAKES Up
FIGHT IN court
Plans to Take Place of
Both Factions in Fight
By KARL REEVE

The temporary administra-
ton elected to dispIace all Of
ticials of both factions Of the
!. w. w. controversy, will re-
present the entire |. w. w. in
Judge Dennis &. SuIIiVan's
court room at city hall this
morning, by order of the con-
Vention of the Industrial Work
ers of the World, now meeting
in Emmett Memorial Hall.
Asked to lift the injunction,
to recognize the convention,
and surrender their offices, the
Rowan-Bowerman faction re-
fused to do so with the one ex-
ception Of ]. A. Griffith.
Bowermnn, Rowan Defiant.
When informed that they had been
suspended from their offices, the
"Bowerman-Rowan general executive
board" sent a communication to the
convention, thru the temporary adj
ministration, declaring that the G. e.
B. set up by Rowan and Bowerman
would continue to function and would
refuse to surrender their authority.
The letter signed by Rowan practic-
ally defied the authority Of the l. w.
w. convention now meeting.
The temporary administration com
mittee, consisting of Ed Fahey, I. U.
$40, secretary-treasurer pro TEN;
Charles Gray, /. U. ITO, assistant gen
eral ecretary-treasurer pro tenn, and
Leonard Broman, 1. U. 100, general
organizer, reported that James Row
an, P. D. Ryan, Harry Trotter and
Fred Bowerman refused to relinquish
funds and books and to endeavor to
have the injunction lifted.
The communication from the Row.
an group declared the industrial I'M
ions must first secure their property
now in general headquarters. They
declared they would not recognize the
convention as long as delegates were
seated whose credentials were signed
by Doyle and Fisher, and until Doyle,
Fisher and Morris turn over to them
the Offices and headquarters and va
cate their official positions.
Griffith Recognizes Convention.
James Griffith, one Of the original
signers of the injunction petition and
member of the Rowan group. and un-
til his suspension by the present con-
vention, chairman of the G. r. B. of
the l. w. W., sent separate state
ment to the convention. Griffith de-
clared he recognizes the authority Of
the convention, and will appear be-
fore them at any time they request
it. Il recognize you as the |. w. w.
convention and will appear before you
and give financial statement or other
information when you so request, :"
Griffith wrote the convention.
1t was learned that as soon as Row
an heard of Grifith's action, he i'm
mediately informed Griffith he was no
longer a member of the G. E. B., Row
an, as serene as ever. despite the re-
pudiation by the convention of his
injunction tactics, is holding meet
ings of his self-appointed general
executive board of the /. w. W." The
two signatures to Rowan's G.. e. B.
communication to the convention
were typewriter, and it is declared
by delegates that one of these men
is out Of town. Those who partici-
pated in Rowans board meeting
which Saturday repudiated the con-
vention were Trotter, Bowerman,
Rowan and Ryan.
Try to Settle oout Of Court.
One of the delegates, terming Row
an as GEAR of the lumber woods"
moved that these four men be sus-
pended from the |. w. W. pending
their trial and the hearing on the
lifting of the Injunction, but he was
ruled out of order by Chairman Wei
inder. Delegate Joe Jordan urged
that the convention go on record as
being opposed to the injunction insti-
tuted by the Rowan group. This in
junction has put lock and key on
our headquarters" Jordan reclared.
Something the master class has not
been able to do for 16 years Of the
history of our organization. We have
been appealing to these so-called fel-
low workers to come to some agree.
ment with us. They have ignored us
and our committees and Monday
morning they are going into the mas
ter's court with our affairs" The
W. W., taking up the matter of the
injunction against the l. w. w. in
California, the principle of boycott,
and the question of pacifsm within
the w. w.