The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-06-02
SPEECH OF I0NhE:: ON +. I.
BILL: OF GRIEVANCES
Former Duluthian Makes
Strong Defense of Organ
lied Labor's Position.
Reviews Their Bill of Griev-
ances in His Usual Able
and Logical Manner.

| ~~$6A~SSA SsaSSAAAA~As
In his presentation of the bill OF
grievances" which was recently pre-
scented to the House of Represent
atives through the behest of leaders
of the labor movement, Hon. Charles
Towne, of New York, In speaking on
the bill said:
"Mr. Chairman: The right of labor
to organize is nowhere now seriously
questioned. That, on the whole, the
exercise of that right has been greatly
beneficial to the vast body of wage
earners, and, hence, of benefit to the
country, whose welfare is so init
mately dependent upon theirs, is like
wise generally admitted. To say this
is not to deny that here and there am.
bitiOn and self-interest have COM
mitted wrongs in the name of labor
and, using the instruments of it's or
ganization for private purposes, have
put in peril the credit of the cause
itself; 1t Is not even to deny that
trades unions and labor declarations, in
the clash Of interests that has attend
ed the phenomenal Industrial changes
of recent times, may occasionally have
exceeded the limit prescribed by a
| just subordination of class concern to
! the general welfare of society. But
! 1t is right to remember that the or
ganization of labor did not precede but
! followed the organization of capital:
! that Its very origin was In defence not
! in aggression. 49,
| But these considerations only en-
force the necessity of a clearer under
standing between organized la on
one hand and the manifold interests
of society on the other, to the end
that public sentiment shall both rec
ognize the just claims of labor and
insist In turn that it shall respect
necessary and salutary limitations in
it's organized effort to secure them.
Under our representative institu.
lions 1t is inevitable that citizens
should seek to influence the enact.
ment and enforcement of laws deemed
by them likely to improve their social
and industrial conditions. Wage
earners can not be expected to be
oblivious of this privilege. Indeed, it
has always been one of the chief argu-
ments of the party in power in favor
OF its continued supremacy that it's
policies were largely shaped to
achieve the welfare: of the laboring
man. Accordingly, it is not surpris-
ing that these policies should be sub.
jected to close scrutiny by the men
whom the competition of leadership
has brought to the front in labor coun.
ellis, men like Samuel Gompers, presi
dent of the American Federation OF
Labor; ohm Mitchell dpresident Of the
Coal Miners union: Andrew Furuseth
president OF the International Sea
mems union, and many others of sim
liar ability and influence.
One consequence. of this scrutiny
has been the formation by the execu
tive council. of the American FEEDER
alton of Labor of a petition for redress
OF grievances, addressed, and on Wed
nesday, March 81, formally presented
to the president Of the United States
and the Speaker of the House of Rep
resentatives.
This petition, sir, which Is quite
the most significant utterance of the
sort in recent economic history, con
ta1ns recital of the principal com
plants which organized labor con
ceives itself to have against the
powers now and for some time past
responsible for the legislative and ad
ministrative policies of the country
These complaints may be thus con
veniently summarized:
FIRST. They complain that the
eight hour law is grievous and fire.
quently v1olated;:, that since 1894 thew
nave vatnly sought to secure legisla
ton remedying the defects of that
law and extending it's provisions tc
all work done on behalf of the govern
ment; that recently, without a hear
ing to the advocates of eight.hou1
legislation; q law was passed by Con
gress and signed by the President az
a rider on an appropriation bill, "nul
lifying the eight-hour law and princi
pie In It's application to the greatest
public work ever undertaken bv ou1
government-the construction of the
Panama canal"
Second. They complain that ne
heed has been paid to labor's reouest
for legislation safeguarding it against
the competition Of convicts.
Third. They complain that no 70
suit has followed their demand for re-
| AASA OSAAAoC tAC CN10 VI luQuC00 and
undesirable immigration" that the
Chinese exclusion law is being
hagrantly violated, and that it Is now
seriously proposed to invalidate thai
law and reverse our policy.
| Fourth. They complain that equal
rights are denied to seamen: that
even the partial relief afforded them
by the laws of 1895 and 1898 have
been threatened at each succeedine
Congress-; that petitions in behalf Of
the seamen have been denied "and 3
disposition shown to extend to other
workmen the system of compulsory
labor" and that, under the guise OF
bill to subsidize the shipping indus.
try, provision is incorporated, and
has already passed the Senate, pro,
v1d1ng for a form of conservation
which would make compulsory naval
service a condition precedent to EN-
ployment on privately owned vessels. y
| Fifth, They complain that under
manning and unskilled manning OF
vessels ara 1arpo1v roenor.ih1S o.