The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-01-10
PACIFIC COAST LABOR
Federation PROPOSED.
President Harry, Of Oregon State
Federation OF Labor Present..
Plan for: Bringing All Unions
of Coast states Under Gem
= y traI Organixat1on.

President G. Y. Harry Of the Oregon
State Federation Of Labor is the father
of a plan by which it is proposed to
bring all of the labor organizations Of
the Pacific coast states under one GEN.
trail body. In an interview published
in the Portland Telegram, President
Harry outlines his plan as follows:
I'VE are SO distant from the great la
Dor headquarters east, our needs are
so different out here, and certain great
trusts haYe, 50 completely cornered
some of the Industries, such as the
lumber trust, that it is imperative that
organized labor devise some means of
successfully combating these difficult
ties. .s<*I.,s,s LID !. ,s:#
81 hile the BENEFIT Is IS derived from i,
,all
would I'D 4 i, hose
that had no special grie vance: at pres
ent would be. in a better. condition to
prosper II they were a part Of a sys-
tenn which had as its chief object uni
forn1ity.
1.-THE organization which would re-
oeive the greatest benefits are those
whose sphere Of work reaches from
one port to another on the coast, such
as the shipbutlders or the mill work.
ers or the steamboat workers. If Port
land has grievance Of some sort and
a strike is declared or if any conces-
sions are asked, then the union closely
connected at the other end of the line
will be notified and every port and city
connected in the chain will at once
make the same demands and harmony
OF action will be assured. Then we
would not be cutting each others
Threats. It would not. thep be possible
for an employer, as was the case with
us in Portland not long ago. to tell us
that the union men Of the Sound
worked a ten hour day at the same
trade In which a nine-hour day was
asked here; it would not be possible
for two schedules OF prices to be in
vogue in two. ports in a. business like
that Of ship building.
"The success OF the lumber trust is
an example that organized labor can
succeed on the same lines. For in
stance, shipbuilding lumber is $500 a
thousand higher than it was before the
trust was organized. The price has
jumped from SIS a. thousand to $22
This rate is Uniform and it is main
tanned without difficulty.
MY plan, and it is an absolutely
new one, as far ais have learned, is
to bring the three coast states under
one central organization. With this
! end in view, will invite the Washing
ton State Federation OF Labor, which
| meets at Seattle in annual session on
January next, TO elect three delegates
instructed to meet a similar number Of
delegates elected from California and
Oregon, at some time and place to be
DESIGNATED before. the adjournment of
the annual meeting Of the Oregon State
| Federation, of Labor, which meets at
| La Grande in May. Caltfornia's feder-
alton meets on the same day as that
! Of the Evergreen state and shall wire
| them from Seattle to follow our exam
| pie and elect three delegates. Oregon
! Will elect hers in: May and the, nine
persons, with full power to 60 ahead
and complete the organisation, Fl will
meet after the adjournment Of the
! Oregon State Federation and get down
to business. = Ez*g< .E@@./ !
The matter will be brought before
the California State Federation .conven-
ton next week and Will probably be
discussed IT some length. AZ .it Is 4
new opposition 81 .yvo,,l 4 Re impossible
to: forecast tho ON of the conven-
ton. III the Same time Pre1ident Har-
~ VIII be =vvor king A behalf Of his
proposition efsre the S5= ashington
/ state convention#at II Seattle and .=is
possible that the ctlonS of that body
*rnay haXs some hsarin9 "A that the
Galiforntas convent "a.
PRoDllGl d IoRp