The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1898-06-18

vention was held, commissioned Bros
j. F. Kreiger and p. J. Geraghty as rep
resentatives of the Federation. At th'
last moment Bro. Geraghty found ht
would be unable to be present and Bros
J. F. Kreiger and G. H. Bonn attended
the convention.
Bro. Kreiger's report of the proceed
ings, with recommendations for youl
consideration, will be presented by the
secretary. I bespeak for it your mos1
careful thought.
The time-check system adopted by
lumbermen for the payment Of working
men employed in the woods is one of the
most iniquitous schemes ever invented
to defraud the laborer of his just com
pensation. The merchants are also sui
ferers from the system through the
forging of checks by expert swindlers
That the evil may be removed l recon
mend that action be taken at this con-
vention looking to the enactment of q
law prohibiting the issuance of such
checks and the payment of employees in
future in the currency Of the country.
In lieu of the present arrangement
compelling the president to appoint or.
ganizers in five different cities Of the
state, I would suggest that he be em.
powered to select them from any portion
Of the state or from any city he may
deem advisable. I make this recommen.
dation for the reason that I believe that
by confining the work Of the organizers
to one city until it is thoroughly organ.
lied; and then taking up some other
point. more lasting benefit will ac-
complished than under the pres:
ent arrangement. @.1.# ..z.
At the st. Cloud convention the Fed:
Grafton Council submitted list of
names of State Senators and Represen-
tatives who had voted against measures
asked for by the State Fedora ton. The
names were published in the proceedings
of that convention. Believing that the
passage Of resolutions denunclatory Of
our enemies will result in nothing unless
plans are adopted to carry them to sue
cessful conclusion, I suggest that their
names be republished in the proceedings
Of this and subsequent conventions and
that circulars explaining the attitude Of
the Federation toward them, with q list
of said Senators and epresentatives, be
forwarded to every union in the state
before the fall election. As further
means to encompass their defeat should
they ever aspire. to Office again, as also
the defeat of those who may in future
antag gonize labor measures, recommend
the formation q clubs in every city
where there is d trades union, their
work to be- confined to assisting the Fed
Grafton in the enforcement of action
taken by it against unfriendly candi-
dates for Office. The clubs should re-
frain from publicly ipdorsing any man
VI o09 VI LA0u AOl OA1C0S 0ut oAOuAN uo0
all honorable efforts to defeat known an
tagonists of the cause Of labor, no matter
with what party or parties to affiliate.
To facilitate the speedy transaction Of
the business of the Federation during
the intervals between conventions I rec
ommend the abolition of the Offices of
treasurer and secretary and that new
Office, to be known as the Office of secre-
tary-treasurer, be created, the incum-
bent thereof to perform the duties here
tofore separately performed by the sec
retary and treasurer, to furnish bond,
satisfactory to the Federation Council
for the proper conduct Of the affairs Of
the Office, the funds which may come
into his possession to be deposited in q
bank or banks approved by the Council
the same to be paid out only on author.
ity of the president and majority Of
the members of the Federation Council
Believing the label of the different
trades to be one of the surest means Of
building up the labor movement
throughout the state, and firmly realiz.
ing that if we are to make any rapid
progress against our opponents it is nec-
essary to enlist the cooperation of the
gentler sex, ! recommend the formation
of women's auxiliaries, composed OF
mothers, wives, daughters, sisters and
other female relatives of union men
whose duty it shall be to create a de-
mand for goods bearing the union label
and who shall themselves be pledged te
purchase no other kind when it is posi-
BILE to obtain them. To secure this as
sistance I desire to impress upon union
men themselves the fact that when they
purchase on-union made goods they
are helping to keep in existence, condi
ton which is largely responsible for low
wages. If we are to drive our competi
tors out of business we can best do so by
leaving their productions severely alone
We cannot furnish them with ammuni
ton and at the same time expect them
to surrender.