POLITIES OF THE FEDERATION OF LABOR
Polities of the Federation of Labor Book Dealing With La Follette's Campaign for President Gives Federation Views on Important Questions 111 UAM English Walling, in his recently published...
...It is very important that the close connection between the existence of the direct primary and the non-partisan policies of the American labor movement should be understood...
...They depend upon one of nature's whims — the wind — and, at best, run only a part of each day...
...Gompers during the later years of his life, was naturally regarded in mr.ny quarters as his official spokesman...
...Storage batteries will solve this part of the problem, it is hoped...
...The new windmills may be a bit different from our modem structures in style but they will be essentially the -Same...
...Oil can be made of coal, for plants in Germany are profitably producing 140 gallons to the gallon by hydrogenation under high pressure...
...Walling shows that the non-partisan policy has beep developed partly out of a deep-rooted conviction on the part of the most influential leaders in tha American labor movement that the trade unions should not permit, themselves to be tied up to any party organ ization but much more largely because of the existence of the peculiar American institution, known as the direct primary, which makes it possible to achieve concrete results through non-partisan action...
...Walling repeatedly emphasizes, the policies of the American Labor Movement are built not upon abstract ideas but upon experience...
...In fact, it does not seem unfair to say that the strong stand taken by the American Federation of Labor against the formation of a new political party after the 1924 campaign is in some measure a contradiction of its declaration of non-partisanship...
...There is now under way a strong movement on the part of leading reactionary interests in the United States to destroy the direct primary...
...Nevertheless, on some occasions in the past the Federation by subsequent action has expressed itself at variance with declarations which Mr...
...Many new applications of our principal source of energy may he expected in the future...
...Heretofore it has been almost impossible for anyone to secure a clear understanding of the attitude of the American labor movement toward these most important questions...
...He has made it possible for the ordinary reader as well as for the serious student to secure a clear understanding of the principles and policies of the American Federation of Labor with reference to politics and government...
...Walling has performed a very great service in compiling for us this analytical study of principal policies of the American Federation of Labor...
...As Mr...
...Bloc-s, as Mr...
...He shows the important reservations which the Executive Council of the Federation incorporated in its endorsement of the La Follette-Wheeler candidacy with particular reference to safeguarding itself against the implication that it was in any way sanctioning the formation of a new political party...
...Thus we may have within the structure of the Federation a dozen or more international unions each working in some measure toward securing a voice in the man* agement of industry along a dozen different lines...
...After all, the American Federation of Labor can speak finally only through the action of its convention, and while there is a great respect for precedent in the Federation each convention is free to advance new policies and make new interpretations of old policies...
...Walling relies almost exclusively upon statements which have been made from time to time by Mr...
...He points out that the development of such blocs or groups of Senators and Representatives who are united by their interest in some particular measure or policy is an inevitable result of the breakdown of the two old parties...
...WINDMILLS OUR rapidly disappearing windmills may yet be saved — to dot landscapes of the future more prominently than ever in the past...
...The main difficulty encountered is the irregularity with which windmills operate...
...When there is no real distinction between the traditional parties there must be some other group which will permit the expression of the dominant interests of the people of the country, and so blocs or groups are spontaneously formed and continue as long as the interest which binds them together is dominant...
...If the policy of the American Federation of Labor is in fact non-partisan, it should be as easy for it to be non-partisan with reference to three or more parties as it is to be nonpartisan with reference to the two majority parties...
...It tells the story of the development of the non-partisan policy of the American Federation of I^abor and differentiates this policy quite clearly from the labor party politics which have been characteristic of the Labor movements of most European countries...
...In support of this hypothesis it may be cited that the American Federation of Labor has condoned the formation of a third party movement in states like Minnesota where the direct primary has been repealed or made virtually ineffective...
...It is, of course, entirely proper for the Federation to declare that in its opinion better results for the labor movement can be secured by concentrating its forces wihtin the two old parties...
...These documents are not generally available except in the largest libraries, and in any event constitute such a mass of evidence that it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack to attempt to ascertain the official policy of the Federation on any particular point...
...View Federation Activities NOW as a result of Mr...
...In fact, it might be said with reference to many of these questions that he is dealing not with positions that have been definitely assumed by the Federation but rather with tendencies—• thus, for example: While the American Federation of Labor has demanded a voice in the government of industry it is Still engaged from day to day in working out that policy in coil-crete terms through the various international unions which are affiliated with it...
...That is one of the reasons that it is so difficult for any outsider to secure an understanding of American labor's attitude toward particular issues, and that is also why Mr...
...It would appear from Mr...
...The second part of Mr...
...He showT very clearly that there is no similarity between the blocs which have been spontaneously formed, particularly during recent years, in the American Congress and the blocs which arc formed in European parliaments by artificial combination of minority party representatives...
...That is a matter of tactics that can be determined only by experience...
...Woll is, of course, a member cf the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor, and by reason of his close association with Mr...
...The Non-Partisan Policy npHE FIRST part is by far the most satis--l factory...
...American Labor and American Democracy'' is divided into two parts...
...Here he is dealing not so much with definite actions as with expressions of policy on issues which are still subject to development...
...Thus it would appear that those who are trying to destroy the direct primary are actually tending to produce the result which they most greatly dread, namely, the formation of a new party alignment along class lines...
...However, to proclaim non-partisanship and at the same time to declare opposition to any new party appears to be a contradiction which is difficult to reconcile...
...y^VNE~OF the most important sections of the book is devoted to the relation of the American Federation of Labor to the La Foilette campaign of 1&24...
...first, Labor and Pol-tics...
...Walling's book, in which he attempts to analyze the attitude of the American Federation of Labor toward the predominant issues with which it is concerned, is much less satisfactory than the first part...
...Walling's book is that in which he deais with "Bloc vs...
...The decisions, actions and proclamations by which the policies of the American Federation of Labor were expressed during its life of half a century can be found only in the proceedings of its Conventions, the reports of its Executive Council, the addresses and statements of its Presidents, and in various official statements issued from time to time to meet particular situations...
...Their officers are not philosophers but practical men who are striving from day to day to Secure the greatest possible advantages for their members...
...second, Labor and Government...
...Bloc in Party Government /AJNE OF the most valuable parts of Mr...
...Polities of the Federation of Labor Book Dealing With La Follette's Campaign for President Gives Federation Views on Important Questions 111 UAM English Walling, in his recently published "American Labor and American Democracy" has performed a great service...
...It is somewhat difficult to understand why there should be any conflict between the nonpartisan policy of the American Federation of l^abor and the formation of a new political party, provided, of course, that the Federation and its affiliated unions were not in any way involved in the structure of the new party...
...Story of Experience • THE SECOND part is also unsatisfactory because in connection with a number of very important questions, Mr...
...Woll had made, and may no doubt do the same thing in the future with reference to matters which it has not yet had before it for official action...
...The first part deals primarily with labor's political strategy and tactics while the second part is concerned rather with the attitude of labor toward the most important problem.* of its relation to government...
...Walling shows clearly the wide divergencies which existed between the policies of Senator La Foilette and the American Federation of Labor on such matters as foreign policies...
...Party Government...
...Aeronautical experts of the Dutch Royal In-stitute""bf Civil Engineers have been working toward the production of a windmill to generate electricity and latest reports indicate that success is almost assured...
...Aerodynamically efficicient windmills will easily generate electricity sufficient to keep a large farm well supplied...
...Gas, coke, and other smokeless fuels are be* ing made of coal...
...Waiting's analysis that if this move to destroy the direct primary is successful, the American labor movement would almost certainly be forced to modify its non-partisan policy and give aid and comfort to the development of a new party alignment...
...Walling gives not only the text of the most important declarations of the Federation but from his intimate knowledge of the labor history of the last half century gives his own view of the causes which kad to such pronouncement* and iheir relation to other events...
...In the event of an oil shortage, coal can be made a source of gasoline...
...Walling shows, have always existed in the American Congress but until recent years they have almost always represented some business group or some reactionary interest...
...Walling"s work, the ordinary reader can without great difficulty secure a reasonably satisfactory understanding of the position of the Federation on the great range of subjects that are troo.ted in this book...
...Methyl alcohol and formaldehyde can also be produced from a coal base...
...These international unions are a law unto themselves and are in no sense controlled by any general declarations which the Federation may make...
...The American Federation of Labor was strongly on record in favor of the League of Nations, while Senator La Foilette had been one of the leaders in the fight to defeat the Treaty of Versailles and with it the League of Nations, He shows clearly tihat the Executive Council of the Federation decided to support the candidacy of Senator La Foilette and Senator Wheeler only after they had been rebuffed at both the Republican and Democratic conventions...
...Matthew Woll, presumably because the Federation ha* made no official declaration upon that particular subject...
...SOON COAL WILL BE TURNED INTO OIL" THE recent meeting of the International Conference on Bituminous Coal at Pittsburgh opened the eyes of science to a great future for the by-products of coal...
Vol. 19 • June 1927 • No. 6
