The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-10-08
By WILLIAMF. DuNNE.

/
the Los Angeles convention is barren
of achievement.
1t tries, however, to list as sub
stantial victories two laws legalizing
the application of existing workmen's
compensation laws to longshoremen
and a liberalization of rates in the
federal workmen's compensation act"
We would be the last to say that
for longshoremen the measure re-
ferred to is not of Importance, but we
submit that as so per cent of the total
positive achievement for one year of
the leadership of the American labor
movement, it is not anything to cause
wild demonstrations. The other so
per cent of the legislation affects only
federal employees.
THE legislative activity of the exec
utive council is of such a character
that it becomes a plaything in the
hands of the lobbyists and agents of
enemies of the workers. 1t is evil
dent for instance that desire of the
A. F. of l.. leadership for the maxi
mum immigration restriction brings
it into a united front with such in
dividuals as Johnson, congressman
from Washington and chairman of
the house immigration committee,
who sponsors a bill providing that
the maximum number of immigrants
from any country shall not exceed
$4,000 annually after July 1, 1928.
Even the inhuman provisions of the
existing immigration regulations,
which divide husbands and wives,
parents and children, creating I'M
told misery a glimpse of which is
given occasionally by the press, does
not move the executive council to
abandon its efforts to close the doors
of the United States to workers of
other countries.
THE report accuses those who seek
special legislation designed to
eradicate some of the most fragrant
evils of the present provisions of in
Producing these measures as "a step
ping-stone to changing the whole
policy of the United States regarding
immigration" The executive council
explains in this manner it's opposition
to a bill providing for the admission
of $4,000 wives or unmarried chill
dren" of aliens legally admitted be-
fore July, 1924.
Likewise the executive council OPP
posed granting citizenship to 50
Hindus, refugees from British perse-
cution. "The California State Fede-
ration of Labor" says the report,
commended that if the Hindus were
restored to citizenship the same
privileges would have to be extended
to 400 other Asiatics in that state"
1t is hard to find parallel for this
cynical attitude in the whole annals
of the labor movement.
THE attempt is being made, so the
report states, to secure the pas
sage of law requiring that only
American citizens shall be employed
on government work, whether it be
done directly by the government or
by contract. This bill was sponsored
by conference of union officials held
on Dec. 2, of last year. 1t will be
presented to the next congress.
The various bills requiring registra-
ton of all aliens failed to pass, but it
is difficult to see how the executive
council, the loudest shouter of all for
stoppage of immigration and dis
elimination against alien workers,
will put up any effective opposition to
this legislation when it comes up
again.
PILLS providing for steel cars in the
postal service for the protection
of railway mail clerks, for an in
crease of wages for watchmen, mes
sengers and laborers in the postoffice
prohibiting military train
ing except in military schools, in
creasing the efficiency of the public
health department, for the Al hour
week in the government printing de-
partment, for the elimination of night
work, compensation law for District
of Columbia workers, prohibiting ar
ticles made by convict labor becoming
articles of interstate commerce, civil
government for the Virgin Islands
all failed to pass.
The character of these bills not
only gives an idea of the petty char
acter of most Of the refor1nist legis-
lation favored by the executive coun-
Gil, but shows also that it's positive
influence in behalf of the American
workers among congressman and
senator's is almost nil
IN Page rs of the report we find
p" the following:
"Forty-four state legislatures met
in 1927. ONLY ONE (Montana) ap-
proved of the proposed child labor
amendment to the. constitution"
Child labor has increased from 1.2
Per cent to STA per cent in "a cities
where the department of labor'g
Bureau made n survey.
But the executive council feels THAI
justice finally viii triumph. Jus
eice," it says, may be long delayed,
hnl fhara otxvovr- ,a,,.oe % RS,.~ -