Montana labor news., 1939-03-23
Peace Confer.
entes Continue; No
Sign Of Solution

NEW YORK. = (FP) If a dove
flew out the window of the Biltmore
Hotel during the AFL-CIO peace
conference, the bird hasn't been able
to find an olive branch yet.
The seven representatives of the
two halves of labor's house talked
for II hours in conferences on March
10 and 10. When the second New
York meeting adjourned late in the
afternoon, the only announcement
was that the committee would meet
again on the following day.
Little more information was given
after the 5-hour session on March
10. A statement agreed upon by
both ALL and CLIO c~onferees was
read to newspapermen by Pres.
Harry Bates of the Bricklayers,
Masons and Plasterers Init. Union
(AFL).
1.-THE joint committee discussed at
length the proposal submitted by
the committee for the Congress of
Industrial Organizations. In the
course of the discussions the repre-
sentatives of the American Fedora
ton of Labor proposed that negotia-
tons for an adjustment of the pend
ing differences proceed from the
point where negotiations of Deem
Der 1887 were left off.
ut was agreed that the proposal
submitted by the American Fedora
ton of Labor and any other pro-
posals that may be submitted will be
discussed at the meeting which is to
convene on Monday morning at 10
a. m. here at the Biltmore Hotel"
Questions as to the fate of CLIO
Pres. John L. Lewis proposal for
one big federation to be called the
Congress of American Labor were
turned aside by Bates with the an
swer: "The statement speaks for
itself"
The 1887 proposal revived by the
AFL delegates was that the CLIO
unions return to the federation in
a body and submit jurisdictional
issues to committees. Lewis gave a
flat mo" when the proposition was
first presented.
One reason why the delegates may
be expected to tackle the peace prob
lem in earnest is found in reports
from Washington that Pres. Roose-
welt spoke far more strongly at their
first meeting than the official text
of his statement indicated.
It was said that if the conferences
bog down as in 1887, the President
may intervene with a proposal of
his own Since such a move would
command wide popular support, the
leaders of both the AFL and CLIO
would find it hard to reject it.
Optimistic newsreel cameramen
waited for several hours when the
conference opened in New York,
hoping to get shots of the rival
leaders embracing upon the basis of
a tentative agreement. But when
word spread that many additional
meetings would probably be re-
CURED, the newsreel men packed up
their equipment and went home.
Newspapermen amused themselves
by pitching pennies in the corridor
while the session dragged on. An
AFL nan won 80 cents from CLIO
t~ossers, whom he had warned in
advance of his prowess.
Representing the ALL are Bates,
Pres. Daniel ]. Tobin of the init.
Bro. of Transfers, Chauffeurs, Sta
blemen and Helpers, Pres. Matthew
VOL of the Init. Photographers
Union and Pres. Thomas A. Rickert
of the United Garment Workers.
CLIO delegates are Lewis and Vice
Presidents Philip Murray and Sid
ney Hillman of the CLIO.
James Beck, powerful boss of the
teamsters in the northwest, was at
the Biltmore on March Is to confer
with Tobin. Beck has played an
important role in local unity negotia-
tons at Seattle.