The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-09-22

O,5SZ ,5UU man-nOurS OF WORK created;
Cincinnati, $2,364 300 for direct wages
with total of 5,O95, 300 man-hours of
work; Youngstown, 2,122,000 direct
and indirect man-hours of work; Day.
ton, $50 men employed, and Toledo,
500 men employed
the federation's early records and cor
respondence.
Undaunted by these handicaps, Com
pers set about the tremendous task be-
fore him with boundless enthusiasm.
First of all, he had to spread the news
of the existence of the federation, to
make it favorably known to established
trade unions and to induce them to
affiliate.
Legislative Programs Formulated
At the same time, it was necessary
to build up the strength of affiliated
unions and pioneer in the organization
of new unions in fields as yet scarcely
touched.
Then came the important duty of
formulating legislative programs and
establishing policies not only beneficial
to labor but in the general public in
terest.
For from the beginning Gompers
confidently anticipated that the Amer
ican Federation of Labor would some
day occupy a responsible position in
the nations life. He had learned from
bitter experiences in New York city
that the greatest handicap organized
labor had to overcome was the general
ly accepted opinion that it was radical,
revolutionary and destructive A con-
siderable group Of radicals and Com
munists had infiltrated into the labor
movement and Gompers had learned
from his contracts with them that they
hurt trade unions rather than helped
them.
His idea was to build up the fedora
tion along democratic lines as great,
patriotic organization devoted to rails
ing American standards of living by
improving the conditions of American
labor. His dream was a federation
known far and wide as a responsible
institution, respected by rid and poor
alike and mighty in it's power to rem
der service for the common good.
Greatest Tribute to Pioneers
The greatest tribute to Gompers and
his associates is the present accomp-
lishment of those lofty detectives.
1ndefatigable, Gompers pitched into
dozens of organization drives with a
zest and confidence that was not to be
denied. Inspiring workers in every
city by his dynamic energy, he toured
the country, north, south, east and
west, building sound organizations in
each industrial community. New men,
bers fiocked by the thousands into the
federation and it's affiliated unions.
With growth came the imperative
need for determining and following
policies which would assure stability,
inspire public confidence and enhance
the federation's prestige.
Under Gompers' leadership, the
American Federation of Labor at its
annual convention rose to it's great
opportunities in statesmanlike fashion.
The federation pledged itself to wise
and constructive course of action. The
delegates met Gin solid phalanx, re-
gardless of creed, regardless of
dogma" They declared "the world is
our field of action and man is our
brother" They not only proclaimed but
lived "the principles of liberty, equal,
ity, fraternity and justice"
Offered Helping Hand to All
To every worker, no matter how op-
pressed, the federation offered help
ing hand. 1t set no limit on it's OBJ
jectives, confident that it's efforts on
behalf of the workers would help all
the people of the nation.
To employers, the federation extend
ed the friendly hand of cooperation,
believing the best interests of the
workers would be promoted if they
worked with industry as partners. Re-
luctant to wage economic war on en-
ployers, the federation and it's unions,
once they faced an implacable foe, en-
tered the fight with spirit of determ-
ination and solidarity that irresistibly
overcame the most vicious practices of
labor's enemies. There were tempor-
ary setbacks. But the federation just
couldn't be licked and rebounded from
defeat to win time and again.
President Wilson Grateful
The World War subjected the Amer
lean Federation of Labor to a grave
test. There were demands for con-
scription of labor and other repressive
measures. The federation met the test
with fine spirit of patriotism and a
devotion to duty which materially
helped to win the war.
President Wilson was deeply CRATE
full for labor's aid and became loyal
friend of labor. He consulted with
Gompers frequently ON labor problems
and helped the federation with its
legislative program. With wages 60