The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1908-01-24
SOMEPRINTER DOPE

The Typographical Journal for Janu-
airy, 1908, contains Opp. 30-3D letter
written by w. E. Shields of Denver,
discussing some changes in l. 7. U.
law he proposes to introduce in the
Boston convention. The first amend
ment he proposes is to have all future
conventions meet in Indianapolis. I'm
doubtedly there would be saving in
this plan, but would it tend to a
greater degree of representative gov
eminent? I'm not opposing the idea
at all have believed for long time
that the friendly contest in breaking
entertainment records had about
reached the limit. If we can add to
this proposed plan scheme whereby
every subordinate union will have con-
vcntion representative we will be
making real progress.
Proposition No. 2, the effect of which
is to "cut out the steady job of the
first vice-president and his attendance
at I. T. U. conventions at I. T. U. ex-
ptuSc, 10 duOtuci olcp III eHo iA6hS
direction. A slight perusal of the
financial statments in the Journal will
show what costly Office this has
been. The report to the st. Louis con-
vention, 1907 Expenses of officers and
organizers" showed the first vice.
president to have been paid for the
fiscal year June 1. 1903-May 81. 1904,
the sum of $2,2SO.09; 19O4-1905. 3d.
02O.94: 1sO5-O6; $3.432.S9; 19O6-O7,
$3.598.98.
Proposition No. 3 to repeal the law
requiring the Home agent to make one
trip year to the home, is eminently
wise. AS Mr. Shields says, the agent
has no vote on the board, and he Is
clothed with office simply to act as a
legal agent in case of necessity.
In proposition No. 4 Mr.. Shields has
the temerity to strike at the organizer
industry. His idea to legislate the
organizer out of office and when real
work for the organizer develops-that
is. when there is no unorganized town
to be orZaniged-tO delegate the secre-
tary of the nearest union to do the
work. The organizer was originally
created to organize unorganized towns
that is. towns where there did not
exist typographical unions. The or
ganizers are still organizing-not un-
ganize? Did you ever go to conven-
ton? Under the old district plan the
organizers jurisdiction was confined to
his district. But now they are at
large-that is. they are largely at
large. Thus 1t is that you pick up the
book and find that the organizer resi-
dent in Los Angeles is sent across the
continent, with numerous stops en-
route, to the Atlantic seaboard; an
other California organizer goes all the
way to the gulf coast; Chicago or
ganizer is sent to New York, and so
on. Besides which several, if not all,
can be found at all conventions. The
convention shouldn't necessarily need
organizing!
The change made at Hot Springs,
(Which was substitute for the New
Orleans proposition to take from the
president the power to appoint the
appeals committee and have the con-
vention elect it,, providing that the
president shall name the appeals COM
mittee within ten days after the con-
vention adjourns, was not only
clumSy hit Of strimmiup" but addc
another expense in sending five men
to the convention to do the work of
the delegates.
There have been approximately 10
per cent of the subordinate unions I'M
represented in the conventions-tha
is. out of about 600. something like 200
are repreSented little more than