Evening star., 1928-11-24
GREEN IS IN FAVOR
OF F|VE-DAY WEEK
A. F. of L. President Says
System Is "Both Practical
and Possible"
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW ORLEANS, November 24.-In a
formal statement issued today, William
Green, president of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, declared that the
fve-day week is both practical and
possible"
The statement said the five-day week
is a necessary accompaniment of in
creasing use of machines and mechan-
ical power" and declared that Sub
stantial progress" toward its adoption
had been made during the past two
years.
1.-TWO major trends for which labor
is responsible for watching" he said,
"are that hours of work be increas-
ingly shortened in order that mechan-
ical progress may raise standards of
human welfare, and that wage in
creases shall correspond to increasing
productivity.
"This latter purpose is both a meas
ure of economic justice and provision
necessary to provide business with
enough buyers for the increased out
put of industries"
Mr.. Green said that 514 local unions
| report that their 165029 members are
now working 5-day, 40-hour week.
Points to Gains.
"These striking gains, made almost
entirely since the federation first an
nounced its five-day week policy at the
Detroit convention two years ago, prove
that the establishment of the five-day
week Is both practical and possible" he
said.
Committee meetings furnished the
only activity of the annual convention
Of the federation today. The conven-
t1on recessed yesterday until Monday
after receiving reports from all COM
mittees whose work has been completed.
President Green, Frank Morrison,
secretary, and other labor leaders will
speak tomorrow from New Orleans pull
pits. The custom of speaking in the
churches is followed whenever the an
nual convention is in session on Sunday.
Secretary Davis Speaks.
A man who hoboed his way to New
Orleans, 36 years ago, to get dollar
a-day job driving mule team, deliv-
cred the principal speech here yesterday
at the annual convention Of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor.
He was James j. Davis, Secretary Of
Labor.
"Thirty-six years ago I happened to
be in New Orleans with little labor
matter on my mind" he said. II was
a youngster very much in need Of a
job and anxiously hunting one"
Secretary Davis explained he had
been an iron puddler in Birmingham,
but a dispute had closed the mill.
IA number of us came by way OF
side-door Pullman to. New Orleans,
where we got jobs working on the levee.
I was driving a pair Of mules that
dragged a dirt scraper. Never before
had I driven mules, but had to have
q Job and was willing to try anything" !"
Turning to the settlement OF indus
trial disputes, Secretary Davis said his
eight years in Office had taught him
that "foree will never work"
"We must arrive at our industrial con-
clusions in a peaceful and harmonious
way" he added. "All our problems can
be solved without resort to violence II
we but sit about the council table ana
think In terms of what Is best for all
concerned, the people as well as our
selves"
Resolutions Passed.
Aside from Secretary Davis speech
the convention spent practically all its
time passing resolutions, all Of which
were adopted without dissenting vote.
For a few moments, the delegates stood
with bowed heads in silent tribute to the
members who have died during the past
year. :,
President Green announced that all
the committees that had completed their
work had reported and that the tmpor-
tant resolutions committee report would
not ber eady until Monday.
One of the resolutions adopted favors
exclusion of Filipinos from the United
States on the ground that there are q
sufficient number of Filipinos ready and
willing to come to the United States
to create a race problem equal to that
already here"
The resolution approved passage OF
the Welch bill introduced in the House
of Representatives to prevent FilipinoS
| from being imported Another resolu-
| ton adopted would prevent smuggling
| of Chinese and excluded Europeans
! into the United States. The conven-
ton approved a resolution protesting
passage by Congress of any bills intro
| duced intended to repeal "the important
features of the La Toilette seaman's
act"