Show I GOMPERS GOES Labor Leader Charges Chair Chairman hair man of Canal Commission Commissi n With Toying With Truth Washington Washington Aug 13 President Gom Gm Gompers G m pers of the American Federation lof of Labor La Labor Labor bor In his hi statement stat ment today takes issue with Chairman of the Isthmian canal anal commission on some of the lattes statements on the experiment of coolie labor In constructing the Panama canal Mr Gompers characterize characterizes as an ab absurdity absurdity absurdity the contention of Chairman that the law with respect to the exclusion excl ion of Chinese is only applicable to o territory t ry at that time subject t to the authority of the United States and that the canal was acquired subsequent to that date do te There is no such provision says Mr Gompers In the law referred to and he cites cUes the various publications of law in inthis inthis inthis this connection Mr Gompers declares that neither neit er he nor James OConnell president of the International Association of Machinists who visited Mr was unable to persuade per him from his po position position on the question and they devoted little attention to the th sub subject subject subject of Chinese coolies because he says Mr emphatically declared it was not his intention to employ them The charge is specifically made by Gom Gem Gompers Gompers pers pens that Chairman Shonta had sufficient sufficIent dent influence with the congress hostile to labor to secure the annulment of not only the law but the eight hour principle In the construction of the t e Panama canal The future he says will determine the judgment of the peo people people plo of our country upon that subject |