in this issue to which special attention is directed. As will also be observed by the roll call vote, which was demanded and which is printed in connection therewith, your delegates voted against the substitute offered by the committee and for the resolutions.

Due to extraordinary demands upon the Federation during the past year, the expenditures for the year exceeded the receipts and show a deficit of approximately $3,000.00. At the close of the year, however, there was a total balance of $102,492.81 remaining in the treasurer's hands.

During the twelve months ending September 30th, the Federation issued 225 charters to national, international, central, local trade and federal unions, two of which were to international unions, viz.: the Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen of America and the Brotherhood of Railway Postal Clerks, all the others being issued to state, central and federal unions.

The growth of the Federation shows an increase of 34,667 for the year, which brings the membership to 2,020,671, and is representative of 110 national and international unions, 21,460 local unions, 647 central bodies, 570 local trade federal unions, 343 local departments and councils, 43 state federations and five general departments.

All the old officers were re-elected, William Green, secretary-treasurer of the United Mine Workers being elected without opposition to fill the vacancy in the office of eighth vice-president.

San Francisco was the unanimous choice of the convention for the next convention eity. Due to the European war and the unsettled conditions arising therefrom, there were no fraternal delegates present from the British Trades Union Congress, the 1914 annual meeting of that body having been indefinitely postponed. The delegates from the American Federation of Labor elected at Seattle to attend that meeting were therefore unable to do so. Their election, however, was reaffirmed and they will attend the next British Trades Union Congress when held.

known, viz: "The City of Brotherly Love," and then some.

In conclusion, we take this opportunity of conveying to our members our sincere appreciation of the honor conferred upon us in being permitted to represent our Brotherhood at this convention. Assuring you that we put forth our best efforts in serving the interests of the men we represented in particular and in the interest of the labor movement generally, with best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year, we remain, Yours fraternally,

M. F. RYAN,
W. J. ADAMES,
FRANK MCKENNA.

SUMMARY OF ACTION TAKEN BY THE
THIRTY-FOURTH ANNUAL CONVEN-
TION OF THE AMERICAN FEDERA-
TION OF LABOR IN CONNECTION
WITH DEPARTMENTAL LAWS
INSOFAR AS THEY APPLY TO
THE RAILWAY EMPLOYES'
DEPARTMENT.

We herewith submit as briefly as possible, a summary of the action taken by the 34th Annual Convention of the American Federation of Labor held in Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 9th to 23rd, 1914, as such action applies to the Department.

Because of conditions that have developed in the various departments during the past few years, the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor believed it to be absolutely necessary that changes be made in the laws governing departments and after giving the matter thorough consideration, particularly during the past year, the Executive Council decided to draw up and submit as a recommendation to the Philadelphia Convention, the changes they deemed necessary to the perpetuity of the departments.

Resolutions referring to the departments were also introduced by the Painters and Decorators, Plumbers and Steamfitters and the Central Body of Hartford, Conn. The resolutions of the Painters and Decorators referred to the manner of paying per capita tax and affiliation to the Railway Employes' Department; that of the Plumbers and Steamfitters referred to affiliation in the Railway Employes' Department; the action of the April, 1914 Convention of the Department in unseating this organization and the decision of the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor in which the Department was declared to have acted illegally and without authority in unseating this organization.

"In connection with the subject matter of the American Federation of Labor Departments your Committee received some resolutions which had a direct bearing upon the committee's action, and the report of the committee covers its action upon these four resolutions." The resolutions were read in

full.

This explanation is made in order that the reader may fully understand that in the adoption of the committee's report as amended, all questions relating to the Railway Employes' Department, affecting the Painters and Decorators and the Plumbers and Steamfitters have been disposed of.

The resolve in resolution No. 9 submitted by the Painters and Decorators reads: "That the Railway Department of the American Federation of Labor be directed to reinstate the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers of America, to membership and to instruct its affiliated system federations to admit or to restore to membership the local unions of the said brotherhood upon such conditions as shall be decided upon by the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor."

The resolve in the resolution submitted by the Plumbers and Steamfitters, reads: "That this 34th annual convention of the American Federation of Labor sustains the decision of the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor as rendered in this case."

"Sec. 3. To be entitled to representation in local councils or railway system federations of departments, local unions are required to be part of affiliated national or international unions affiliated to departments, or directly affiliated to the American Federation of Labor. Said local unions shall first be and remain in affiliation to central labor unions chartered by the American Federation of Labor.

The report of the committee was adopted as amended.

"Sec. 4. The fundamental laws and procedure of each department are to conform to, and be administered in the same manner as the laws and procedure governing the American Federation of Labor. No department, local council or railway system federation of same shall enact laws, rules, or regulations in conflict with the laws and procedure of the American Federation of Labor, and in the event of change of laws and procedure of the latter, departments, local councils, and railway system federations are to change their laws and procedure to conform thereto.

The committee recommends the adoption of Section 4 as it reads.

Delegate Wharton: I would like to ask the chairman of the committee who I believe understands the position of the Railway Department in regard to making joint agreements, if there is anything in that section that would be construed to mean that organizations affiliated to the Railway De

partment would not have the right to make such laws. We have provided for joint action and that has been approved by International conventions of organizations affiliated to the Department which allows organizations to strike and makes it imperative that they comply with those laws.

Vice-President Duncan: The procedure the delegate refers to affects only the Railway Department. This section dealing with and having reference to the constitutional law and resolutions of the American Federation of Labor, which no department, being the creature of the American Federation of Labor, would have the right to abrogate. This matter has not come before the Executive Council and certainly not before the delegates to this convention. Organizations affiliated to the American Federation of Labor are guaranteed autonomy, which means management of their own affairs, and therefore the constitutional law and regulations of each international are considered sacred to them, and in the American Federation of Labor, because of that understanding, when an organization affiliated to the American Federation of Labor rightfully belongs in the department it would naturally follow that in going into the Department the same sacredness of the constitutional provisions of the international would be respected therein as in the American Federation of Labor.

Delegate Wharton gave in detail an account of the manner in which joint agreements were made and other business transacted by the Railway Employes' Department, as now organized, the laws of which have not been objected to by the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor, providing insofar as legislative enactment can, for joint offensive and defensive action by the affiliated organizations. A law of this kind necessarily carries with it the financial and moral support and responsibility in proportion to the number of men affected. We have no knowledge to the effect that the American Federation of Labor has either assumed or been given the authority to say to any affiliated organization that it must enter into such an alliance, when by so doing they would compel such organization to incur financial obligations not acceptable to them.

The organizations now affiliated have so agreed, but deny any organization, including the American Federation of Labor, the right to decide with whom they shall enter into a compact for offensive or defensive purposes, just so long as they confine such compact to organizations affiliated to the American Federation of Labor.

The organization now composing the Mechanical Section of the Railway Employes' Department embrace within their membership practically all classes of men employed in the various departments of a railroad other than the transportation department.

We challenge any one to prove that these organizations are now or have at any time solicited for membership men doing a class of work other than that which they have had control over for many years and long before any of the departments were organized and in concluding said:

"I want to ask the chairman of the committee will Section 4, having in it the word 'procedure', interfere with such an alliance as you have outlined and is now in existence. If it does we would like to have an opportunity to consider the matter and submit an amendment which would make it possible for the Railway Department to continue as a railway department of the American Federation of Labor, if not under some other head. We do not care about the name of the Department, we want the right of this body to do something that is beneficial for about 125,000 men in these different organizations."

Vice-President Duncan: "The word 'procedure' would not cover the point you have in mind-it would be the law rather than the procedure. The word procedure has reference to decisions and action by this convention concerning all organizations not included in its laws. This carries with it that other method of expression of opinion the American Federation of Labor has, other than is mentioned in its constitutional law. If the delegates had asked if what he has referred to came under the word 'laws' I would say 'yes.'"

Delegate Wharton: "The law and the procedure of the American Federation of Labor, as I understand it, do not provide for any such action as we have outlined in the Railway Department. So far as I know, it does not interfere with it. What I want to know is whether this law, in which you have injected the words 'prccedure' and 'rules' governs. Do those words interfere with this form of organization?

Vice-President Duncan: "The organizations now in the Railway Department have ceded to the Railway Department authority over questions that the internationals have not given the American Federation of Labor in their affiliation to the American Federation of Labor, and the decisions upon the point at issue would either have to be reached by this convention in session now, or would follow the method provided in a subsequent section, namely, coming under an appeal. If an organization is aggrieved at the action of the Railway Department it would have a right to appeal to the Executive Council; if the decision of the Executive Council is not satisfactory to the organization it would then go to the next convention."

Delegate Wharton: "The laws of the Railway Department provide for that; they state that if anything occurs in the department and an organization is not satisfied, it has a right to appeal to the American

Federation of want is this:

Labor. The information I 'If there is anything in the

laws of the American Federation now, or anything in this article that is proposed, that would interfere with the formation of an organization such as we have made in the Railway Department?" "

Vice-President Duncan: "That can only be defined by the convention or by appeal, because the organizations now composing the Railway Department have given to that department certain authority which the same organizations have not given the American Federation of Labor, namely, the right to make agreements in conection with railway work. The organizations in the American Federation of Labor do not turn over to the American Federation of Labor authority to either do itself or assign to someone the right to make agreements and order strikes in connection with the various organizations. The Railway Department has found it essential to it to have that form. The question is whether or not the Department is right in doing that when the organizations have not ceded that authority to the American Federation of Labor. Before going further, I would like to ask Delegate Wharton where, in his judgment, the Steamfitters or pipe fitters upon the railroads, engaged there permanently now, as they have been for years, belong? In which organization, under your offensive and defensive plan, would those men be assigned?

Delegate Wharton: "The Department does not assign them to any organization. If they desire to belong to the Plumbers and Steamfitters, they can do so; but there are possibly 85 per cent of the organized pipefitters now in the Sheet Metal Workers' International Alliance."

In accordance with Sections (3) and (4) of Article 15, Vice-President Duncan's explanation, organizations not now in affiliation with the Railway Department, must make application in regular form.

The report of the committee was adopted, and the Section as amended by the committee reads:

"Sec. 5. Each department to be considered the official method of the American Federation of Labor for transacting the portion of its business indicated by the name of the department, in consequence of which affiliated and eligible organizations should be part of their respective departments and should comply with their actions and decisions subject to appeal therefrom, to the Executive Council and the convention of the American Federation of Labor. When an organization has interests in departments other than the one of its principal affiliation, in which it shall pay per capita tax upon its entire membership, it is to be represented in and pay per capita tax to the other departments upon the number of members whose occupations come under such other departments, but this in no instance shall be less than 20 per cent of the

membership upon which it pays per capita tax to the American Federation of Labor.

The General Officers representing the organizations now affiliated with the Railway Department held a meeting in Philadelphia, and at this meeting it was unanimously agreed that they would continue to pay per capita on their full membership. In view of the fact that the laws of the Railway Department provide for equal voting power of all affiliated organizations, no other department having such laws, we do not believe the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor can very well decide to interfere with such an arrangement.

This question together with those of holding Bi-ennial Delegate Conventions and the location of our headquarters in St. Louis have been submitted to the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor with a request that we be permitted to continue the work of the Department as outlined in our laws. The Executive Council will meet in Washington, D. C., Jan. 11th, at which time we are informed the matter will be acted upon.

The Resolution Committee recommended and the recommendations were adopted by the convention that Sections 6 and 7 be changed so that, on satisfactory reasons being given the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor they can grant to the Railway Department the right to maintain headquarters in the city selected by the Department, and hold conventions in accordance with our laws, provided the Department shall authorize their Executive Officers to change their laws to conform to those adopted by the convention of the American Federation of Labor.

We feel confident this will meet with the full approval of our members.

The Executive Officers of the Department co-operated in every possible manner in defending our position, both before the committee and later, on the floor of the convention, we have every reason to believe that we have succeeded in clearing up the situation and as a result, that the aims and objects of the Railway Employes' Department are much better understood.

This Department has no quarrel with union men, whoever they may be, but we believe we know the situation in the railroad industry and the necessity of avoiding the entanglements and difficulties with which we would be confronted were we to throw our doors wide open and recognize every craft organization whose jurisdiction might be said to include workmen now belonging to the recognized basic trades represented in the Department.

A. O. WHARTON, President,
Railway Employes' Department.

SOMETHING FOR THE ADVOCATES OF A MODERN NATIONAL DEFENSE SYSTEM TO CONSIDER.

Government ownership of telephones and telegraphs is urged in a statement issued at Washington by Charles Edward Russell in behalf of the Lewis telephone nationalization bill, which is before Congress at this session. Mr. Russell argues that the advocates of a modern national defense system should work for government ownership of the wires, and in his argument draws on his recent European experience to prove his contention.

Here is the Russell interview:

"One thing that particularly impressed me in the war zone was the use that all the warring nations made of the telegraph and telephone. In the army operations the field telephone was indispensable. Every part of the vast battle line, 350 miles long, was kept in touch and operated on a coherent basis, mainly through the wonderful telephone service. Without the telephone the whole thing would have been no better than what Bismark called "A mob of fighting persons." The telephone in its intelligent use and development have made it possible to put into the field the largest armies ever known in the history of the world.

"But the fact was just as important tnat the whole telephone and telegraph system of the country was in the hands of the gov ernment. Without public ownership, the thing would have been utterly impossible. General Joffre for instance, was at all times in communication with the military establishment and all branches of it in every corner of the Republic. He could talk at any moment, day or night, with his subordinates in Marseilles or Nice as easily as he could give an order in his own headquarters, and he knew that all of the telephone system and all of the employes being part of the Government, he could proceed with perfect safety.

"Some of these facts as they are, rather dispose of the airy refinements of the hired writers that have pictured to American magazine readers the beauties of private ownership of public facilities. When war comes all these things look very different. Private ownership of the means of communication is utterly impossible in times of war. It is not merely inexpedient or inadvisable; it is impossible. If France had been at the outbreak of the war, in the position we are in, that is to say with all her telegraphs and telephones in the hands of a greedy private monopoly, and all her railroad communication at the mercy of a gang of railroad speculators, she never could by any possibility have done the things she has done to preserve herself. She could not have mobilized her troops to begin with, nor reinforced them, nor directed them on any intelligent plan; she could not have moved them about as they were needed, nor kept

them in touch with the general government at Bordeaux. She would have fought at all times under a hopeless disadvantage.

"England found how true this was in respect to her railroads. The railroad system of all Great Britain has always been privately owned, though the telegraphs and telephones, in recent years, have belonged to the nation. As soon as war was declared, the first step of the British Government, was to take over and begin to operate the entire railroad system of the country. The government understood well enough that to attempt to prosecute the war without complete control of the railroads as well as the telegraphs and telephones would be impossible.

"As to the telegraphs, for example; under private ownership the Government could not have prevented daily reports to the enemy that would have forestalled every move and laid bare every Government secret. To get the news out of the country, the spies were reduced to the slow, uncertain, and easily detected means of carrier pigeons, whereas if the telegraphs had been

like ours, in the hands of private profitmongers, the reports could have been wired. Every observer that was in Europe at the outbreak of the war must have been impressed with the absolute necessity of the Government Ownership of the means of communication. It must have been left in his mind no longer a matter of theory, but a matter of fact. To build battleships, erect forts and train soldiers is largely foolish if we are to have the nerves of warlike action, which are the means of communication, in other hands than those of the Government. We should be a very dull nation if this war could fail to teach us our first lesson which is that existing under the system at present, war is liable to burst upon any nation at any time, and it is perfect folly to be so unprepared for it that we do not even own our own means of communication. Congress ought not to lose a minute in repairing this great defect in our arrangements. No one may say how soon we may have reason to deplore its neglect if it overlooks this vital point in a nation's defense."

"When Labor is true to itself it will have no further need to ask favors of its 'friends.' It will then command justice."

You can assist in the work of organizing by mailing this Journal to a non. A twocent stamp will carry it. Perhaps some one at your next terminal or inspection point needs enlightenment. Send it to him, and Mr. Shopman, maybe the fellow working along side of you is not a member; if so, pass it on to him.

A wisely conducted journal should be like a banquet. Everything served up with a view to variety, and this is what we strive to do. Help yourself to what you want, and do not condemn the entire spread because pickles and onions may be included. If you do not relish them some one else may. Be generous enough to select gracefully such reading matter from your Journal that will suit your mental taste. You, as an individual are not compelled to swallow everything. We do not all think alike on every subject and it is a good thing we don't, as it makes variety, and variety is the spice of existence.

For the further information of our members, we desire to state in connection with President Wharton's report on the action taken by the Philadelphia convention of the American Federation of Labor on the amendments to the laws governing departments submitted by the Executive Council, that the final result does not affect the status of the railroad department in any manner whatever, as while the law is changed in regard to the payment of percapita tax, by organizations affiliated to departments, the organizations affiliated to the railroad department have mutually agreed to continue the payment of percapita tax to the department on the same basis as heretofore, viz:-on their entire membership. And while affiliation to departments in which organizations may think they have interests is made optional instead of obligatory as heretofore, the present organizations constituting the department intend to remain in affiliation therewith and to continue to decide for themselves what other organizations are eligible and will so decide when the United Association of Plumbers, Steamfitters, Helpers, etc., and the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers again make application for affiliation as the new law provides, and