Evening star., 1927-10-03
LABOR OPTIMISTIC
ASA.F. OF |. MEETS
Five-Day Week Urged and
Reds Held Beaten in
Annual Report.

By the Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES, October 3.-The
American Federation Of Labor.
avowedly more healthy than it was
last year, tackled its various problems
here today as 400 delegates and Off
GERS, representing a membership of
nearly 100000 workers. assembled
for it's forty-seventh annual conven.
ton.
The fiveday week, the injunctive
powers of the courts and the educa-
ton of workingmen to the idea of
organized labor were among the mat
ters tentatively scheduled to come
under the scrutiny Of the delegates.
Defeat of Communism within the
ranks was regarded as an accom-
plished matter as the congress began
it's work. The report of the executive
council, issued as a preliminary to the
convention, declared the extremist
element had been beaten during the
past year in it's effort to gain control
of trade unions.
A series of addresses Of welcome
was programmed to be given by high
officials of the State and city. Gov.
c. C. Young, Lieut.. Gov. Buron Fits.
Mayor George E. Cryer, President
J. NJ. Dalton Of the State Federation
Of Labor and President A. w. Hook
of the Los Angeles Central Labor
Council were chosen to speak the
greetings.
Tw0.Week Convention.
While two weeks has been set as
the length Of the convention, the
delegates will remain In session until
all business is cleared away. Thus
far there has been no intimation of
any OF the present officers of the
federation being opposed for re-elec'
tion. z
The annual report of the executive
council was expected to be a guide te
the conventions activities. It sounded
a keynote Of optimism regarding past
achievements and it's future course,
with a claim Of successfully combat.
ing attempts to reduce wages
Instead Of centering effort upon
strike and strife, organized labor In the
United States during the past year
has placed new emphasis upon con
structive achievement in cooperation
with industry and society, President
Green and his executive council de.
clared in the annual report.
Settle Own Disputes.
Along this line, the report pointed
out, the federation itself had been sue.
cessful in settling whole series of
jurisdictional disputes between its sub.
ordinate craft unions, many Of them
of long standing. and all Of them pro
life causes of interruption to industry
because of resulting union quarrels.
Further. in employment now regulated
by contract or agreement between
workers and management. whole
series of sustained cooperative rela.
tionship has been brought into being.
With all of the change, the report
continued. the labor movement had
not forgotten older objectives, and had
set up for itself a new goal, the five
day week. The traditional demand for
higher wages and shorter hours in all
had been maintained with
success.
Turning to organization questions,
the report said that "a very incom-
plete summary" of trade union assets
made in 1926 had disclosed total of
s35, ,S97 900. A sharp warning to union
officials to safeguard these assets was
issued. A stop in the expansion Of
labor banking pending study was
urged.
Opposition to company unions"
was again voiced, and trades unions
along regular lines were urged not to
lose sight Of their duty of encourag.
ing social and cooperative activities
In the political field, the council
served notice that the federation
would follow the non-partisan policy
adhered to in the past, and
described the program tentatively
outlined for making its influence ef-
fectiye in campaignS