Idaho County free press., 1924-12-18
Labor Leader Dies
Continued from Page One)

mics ana nave represented us in al
unfayorable light" Six months afte
these words were spoken, of NOR
than 30J strikes in various parts o
the United States, it vas reporte'
that only 81 were authorized b,
the American Federation of Labor.
Ultimately" said Mr.. Gompers il
the same interview, 'the toilers viii
see that there is nothing in the falls,
doctrines of Bolshevism. 1 have M
idea who is supplying the radicals
with money OF carry on their propa
ganda. But there have always beer
certain enemies to labor who are Gag
er to use any means to weaken oui
organization"
In the national industrial confer
ence of representatives of labor and
capital and the public, which opened
at Washington on October 6, 1919, at
the call of President Wilson to find
remedy for Industrial strife Mr..
Gompers took a prominent part
Previously had attended world
labor parleys in London, Paris and
Amsterdam.
Father of Much Legislation.
He was father of much legislation
both state and national designed to
relieve and protect the workingman.
In recent years large part of his
time was spent before legislative COM
mittees suggesting, supporting and
framing labor legislation.
Prior to his founding the national
labor organization in 1881, the labor
movement was in the hands of COM
small, individual unions,
IN the various states, working with.
)ut much real cooperation BY form
ng the federation, he welded the ell
ire movement into nationwide, !
'ompact unit which grew to be pow
II in the political commercial and |
Industrial life of the country.
Among the laws Gompers framed |
or originated, were: The
ight-hour law for government en-
loyes; the various state laws fixing
ours of labor; laws establishing La
or day as the workingmens holi-
ay; the federal workingmens COM
ensation law; the law limiting the
Sc of injunctions in labor disputes
le law exempting labor unions from
rosecution as combinations in res
'aint of trade; and the law regulat-
g punishment for contempt of court.
e was also directly responsible for
lie legislation which created the de-
of labor as a separate de-
irtment of federal government with |
cabinet member at its head :
Born In England :
Samuel Gompers was born in Lon
N, England, January 81, 1850. His
ther was q cigar-maker and Sam
j was the eldest of eight children. u
is mother was a woman of excellent =
ucation and through her influence .
was led to study. Notwithstanding h
e fact that at the age of 10 he be- %
n to help his father support the N
mily. He went to school from his
lth to his tenth year and was then
prenticed to shoemaker. This h,
ide was not to his liking, however,
d he learned the trade of his faith -,
and while working as cigar
ker attended evening school for al
II years. dc
lie came to the United States when
was 13 years old and worked as a
ar-maker in New York City. In te
4 he first became identified with III
labor movement. ma
everal opportunitie to enter public
ice were declined by Mr.. Gompers
different times in his career. He 'ei
lsed to run for the state senate in hel
Y York, although offered both Re an
llcan ana Democrats nominations
declined a Republican nomination
congress. Governor Hill of New pai
k offered him place on the y"
e board of arbitration and Presi- tai
Mckinley rendered him an ap-
tment on the industrial commits
/, but he declined both. He was iin'
We in the agitation for treaty no
'een the United States and Great tan
ain which would provide for the
tration of all disputes.