The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-12-06
Driest A. F. of L. Convention
By Fred Ellis

The workers must not be fooled
again by Hoover and the American
Federation of Labor reactionaries,
who are using Hoover's scheme to
cover up their bankruptcy and to
continue their betrayal of the work
ing class. If the capitalist govern
ment should ever build up the 49,
900, 100000 fund, called for by the
Hoover scheme, this fund will be
used for more intensified speed-up,
further reduction of wages and
fresh attacks upon the unions. Such
a fund would be used primarily to
prevent the organization into unions
of the millions of workers in the
basic industries"
The Workers Party manifesto
added series of unemployment de-
mands, including unemployment in
surance, Immediate enactment of
law providing 40-hour 5-day week,
immediate emergency help for all
workers unemployed two months or
more consisting of eight weeks
wages for all workers; municipal
public kitchens and medical care for
all unemployed, and public works
undertaken by the government on
the basis of union wages and con-
ditions.
Following the endorsement for the
Hoover plan, the A. F. of L. conven-
ton listened to Secretary of Labor
Davis, who praised the attitude of
the American workers, saying the
worker realizes that the more he
produces, "the greater the fund
from which his wages come" Presi-
dent Green announced that the A.
F. of L. will seek a 40-hour 5-day
working week, but this also is an old
slogan of the A. F. of L. about
which nothing has been done. The
A. F. of L. officials did take real
action, however, in organizing the
American Wage Farmers Protective
Conference" with the object of fight
ing for higher tariff. The confer
ence, representing II trade unions,
met in New Orleans at the same
time as the A. F. of L. convention,
and elected Matthew Woll president.
For Kellogg War Move.
The A. F. of l.. delegates passed
resolution pledging support to the
Kellogg treaty. For the first time
since 1917, no resolution urging the
recognition of the Soviet Union was
presented at the convention. This
was due to the absence of the left
wing elements who in former years
always presented such resolution,
only to see it always defeated by the
Greenwich machine.
Prof. John Dewey, a liberal. who
headed the recent American educa-
tional mission to the Soviet Union.
In its report to the New Orleans
convention the A. F. of L. educa-
tional committee declared that Prof.
Dewey is recognized everywhere as
the leading educational authority of
America" Since that report was
written, Prof. Dewey has returned
to the United States and has begun
publishing a series of articles on the
Soviet Union in the liberal Neao Re-
public. Woll and other A. F. of l..
officials declared at the convention
that Prof. Dewey was making state
ments in favor Of the Soviet Union
and that the A. F. of L. was un-
willing in any way "to encourage
the Communists" The convention
thereupon voted to delete from the
educational committees. report the
passage about Prof. Dewey's pre-
eminence as an American educator.
Prof. Dewey is member Of the
American Teachers Federation.
which is affiliated with the A. =. Of
l.. He is in no sense Communist
and has never made any statements
supporting Communism or the So
Wet government. His articles in the
New Republic repeat over and over
again that he is no political or eco
nomic expert and therefore wishes 70
avoid discussing Soviet politics and
economics and to confine himself ex-
clusively to the moral" and "men-