OCR Text |
Show Annua! Convention to Lay Foundation For American Labor Party." MONTREAL, June 6. Efforts will be made to have the American Federation Feder-ation of Labor, which opens Its annual an-nual convention here tomorrow, lay the foundation for the establishment of an American labor party, loaders of the progressive wing of the federation federa-tion declared tonight. Tho announced I plans to launch a fight for the ap-J ap-J polntmont of a special committee to J draft an -Ideal platform" during tho next twelve months and submit it at j the 1921 federation convention as tho basis for a new political party. J "Wo realize that our opportunity for I a lahor party has passed for tho coming com-ing olection." said Cyrus Grow of Los Angeles, Ca.l., one of the progressive loaders, "but we want to prepare now for the future. Labor has been tho loser by tho now too long doplay in tho direction of a political organization. organiza-tion. "Wo arc hero to sponsor a third parly. If our plan is carried out there will be an American labor party within with-in two years. Our movement may, however, be hastened if elthor ono of the major partlos adopts reactionary platforms in their national conventions." conven-tions." Tho movement is being supported by delegates from the Metal Trades' council of the Pacific coast and a number of representatives of othor west coast organizations. Conaorvatlvo leaders refused to comment on tho plan except that they did not believe it "would get far," as tho majority of the delegates would support Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, in his announced non-partisan political politi-cal policy. |