Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-10-18
LIVING Increase
LABOR'S PROBLEM
President Wright Recommends
Careful Consideration of
Question.
ATTACKS FALSE WEIGHTS
Head of State Body Advocates Enact
ment of an Employers Com
pensation Bill.

President Edwin r. Wright deliv-
cred his annual address at the open
ing session of the Illinois State Fed
Grafton convention this morning. In
part he said:
Ladies .sand gentlemen: The 12
months ending Oct. l show a gain
of so organizations on our member
ship rolls. Added to this the change
in our constitution requiring pay
ment of per capita tax on an honest
count of membership has added quite
materially to our resources. When
we take into consideration the long
but successful struggle of our broth
ers, the United Mine Workers of
America, and the remission of per
capita tax during this period to this
body. it will be seen that our re-
ceipts are steadily mounting to quite
respectable figures.
The fiscal year ending with the
Decatur convention 1S9S) showed
receipts of S34S.33. The fiscal year
ending with the Belleville conyen-
ton 1909) showed receipts of SILL
427.4O.
In four years (since the Streator
convention, 1860 we have had a re-
markable growth. Our per capita tax
was reduced at Peoria 1.-TWO years
ago. to one cent, and our funds
showed an increase of $7,356.59.
Last year our receipts showed mem
bership seven times as large as in
1906 and II times as large as we
were in 1898. This year shows a
cit bny
ship.
There must be an element of use
fulness and of value in our organiza-
ton to show such development
Another source of income to the
federation was the per diem received
by your president while serving as
a member of the employers liability
commission. The secretary's report
shows receipts of 1896 in May, S115I
in June. SIPS in July, $3.50 in
August, and 500 in September. My
services on the commission were of
such a character as not to conflict
with my duties as president of the
Federation of Labor, and by a little
careful management, my time was
so arranged as to achieve results for
each organization.
During the year your president has
visited many cities and spoken be-
fore many labor organizations In
the larger cities it is often possible
to appear before several organiza-
tions during one evening. In the |
smaller places one must be content !
with addressing the central body and !
no invitation for talk has been re-
fused during the last IL months !
The work of advancing interest in |
the union label and shop cards of /
the various trades has been given .
consistent attention. A number of /
new organizations have been started !
on their way toward self-advance-
ment.
Strikes and lockouts have occur /
red in a number of cities and when
ever called upon to take part your
officers have done their utmost to
assist the organizations in trouble.
Employers Liability.
So much has been said and writ
ten regarding the work of the en-
Dloyers' liability commission that l
wish to go into the matter at some
forth the whole
story in as few words as possible.
For the first time in the history of
if not in the United States,
we have a text book on the subject
If employers liability. More than
200 individual accidents were in
and recorded, together
with comparative figures and anal
1ses. AS this report is one which
will long hold first place on the sub
ect, 1 ask leave to make it a por-
ion of my report and to present
Zach member of the convention with
/ copy.
For % years the Illinois State
of Labor has protested
Iga.nst the indiscriminate waste of
life and energy of the workers, re-
ulting from shifting of RESPONSE I
'ility for industrial accidents. Dur
ng this time we have protested that {
many of our brothers met death or
disability. When we tried to sub
tantiate our words with figures. we :