The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-19
ALL } PARTIES STACESCRAMBLE FOR LABOR VOTE Working Man May Decide Contest In Number
 Of States GOMPERS' STRENGTH TO AID LA TOILETTE Davis Makes Strong Bid For The Support
 Of Labor
By RAYMOND CHAPTER, n .ea sAd Wira tO The Age.Herald. ]

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18.- All three presidential candi- dates are engaging in a lively scramble for the labor vote be- cause of it's strategic impor- tance in this campaign. The battle is waxing warm between Davis and La Toilette. Cool Eidge is manifesting less in- terest..
 The reason for the unusual interest I in the labor vote this year lies in the | fact that with three candidates in the l field the workingman may decide the outcome in many states, Republicans believe that in some states like Illinois and Ohio, labor may divert enough 1 votes from Davis to La Toilette to give l Coolidge the electoral vote.
 La Toilette Hopeful
 La Toilette forces expect to get the | bulk of the organized labor vote. This, with the vote of the unsatisfied farmer, is the principal strength of the progress sive ticket. La Toilette has the tre- mendous advantage which comes from the indorsement of Gompers and the national labor leaders. Yet the labor vote is hard to deliver because it is | cut up by factional rows and jealonsies l among rival leaders. Old party lead l CTS are seeking to take advantage of these differences, trying to split the I vote away from Ia Eollettes
 Fu prevsnt aefeetions, AEashew SyOli l vice president of the A. x. of L., ana d T1,.sSsfS l trying hard to force all labor publica- ti0ns to support the La Follette-Wheel CT ticket on pain of being listed as disloyal to the executive council if they l refuse.
 Meanwhile, William B. Wilson, Sec retary of Labor in the Wilson admin istration, is directing the democratic l campaign to wean union votes from La Toilette. Wilson is an old asso- ciate of Gompers, an orthodox A. F. of | l.. leader, who was made Secretary of Labor through the efforts of GOmpers. His unsuccessful effort to hold up the l A. k. of l.. indorsement of La Fol lette until after the Davis acceptance | speech did not deter him from other l efforts and the results of his activity are beginning to be seen.
 Davis Active
 Davis has announced that he favors giving labor a share in the ownership and management of industry. That may mean he favors allowing employees | to buy stock in concerns for which they work. There is nothing revOlu- tionary in that. In fact, most corpo- rations now encourage their employees to buy stock. If they don't stock of the larger ones usually can be bought through any bank or broker. As to how far Davis would go in giving la- bor a choice in the management is a question. Labor has a big voice in fixing its wages and working condi- tiOns through collecting bargaining. Whether he favors some sort of labor shop council such as have been tried out in some factories here and in Eng land is not clear. If he goes very far in that direction, General Dawes prob ably will accuse him of trying to sovietize industry.
 Meanwhile the democratic national committees labor organization is be- ginning to function under l.. M. Orn- born, secretary of the Connecticut Fed eratiOn of Labor. Unlike the Massa- l (TnDffnuad on Page TwOl