The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1910-01-14
Annual Report ofChas. r
Case at Hoquiam Con
ventiOn an Able Docu-
ment-Will be Printed
forGeneraI Circulation.

TO the Eighth Annual Convention OF
the Washington State Federation of
! Labor:
Fellow workers: We are. assembled
here for the purpose of discussing ways
and means for the betterment of man.
kind and particularly of those who la
Dor to live None more competent to
Judge of their needs could be found
than you, delegates, who through your
daily occupations are brought face to
face with the actual conditions exist
ing among the toilers of this state.
Your presence here marks you as
leaders among your associates, marks
you as ones found worthy of confidence
and full of ability to serve wisely those
who sent you.
The problem before sou today is
world wide and with the perfection of
aviation may, in the near future, in
clude many worlds.
Our duties are primarily to the toll
ers within our state yet we must keep
| in mind that the eyes of workers every
where are watching our progress and
that in some degree we shall be looked
upon as blazing new trails that others
may see the way. Under existing
twentieth century conditions no state
or nation can permanently progress
without Others share in their prosper
ity.
| 1t therefore develoves upon us, not
! for the sake of ourselves but. for the
good of all, to do our best not only
while here but ever after that all may
enjoy greater proportion of the multi
/ tude of necessities which a higher state
of civilization demands
Our nine years of existence as an
organization has been marked by =
steady and vigorous growth in member
ship, influence and in results attained.
Year after year we are looked 90 more
and more to do those things we are
organized to undertake.
During the past year We have pro
NOTED the legislative needs OF the peo-
pie before the state legislature and city
councils, have assisted in organizing the
unorganized both in new and old fields
promoted closer affiliations with state
and central bodies and performedmul-
titudes of other tasks both great and
small wherever and whenever we
were called upon or saw an opportunity
to do so.
Our mission this week. while together
and representing as we do all the in
dustries of our state, is to review the
work done during the year past and
to plan for a greater. more successful
campaign for better citizenship, better
homes and more of them. better man
hood, better womanhood, better child
hood, throughout the state and nation
A report of the work of this Office
cannot be complete. Much of it has
been done after days work at another
vocation had been completed and when
mind and body We're not at their best
The growth of the organization has
multiplied its duties and as our work
has become known more and more de
mands for information and assistance
and counsel reach us from many sour
ces.
Much of yearly review is neces
sarily a repetition of what has reached
YOU through circular letters and the
daily labor press. Yet we must neces
sarily call your attention again to il
with no other desire than that of hav
ing completed a duty. Since | must
draw largely upon memory it will be
easiest for me and perhaps as well with
you that we take up the work with the
adjournment of the last convention am
follow it through the year somewhat il
the order in which things have occurred
Legislative Session.
Immediately following the close o.
the last convention | was selected by
the executive board to represent tn,
interests of the working men and WON
en- before the legislature which con
vened the day following our adjourn
ment.
Not having participated actively il
the years political campaign | was seri
ously handicapped by lack of knowl
edge of the personality Of the many
new legislators and state officials II
was necessary to become acquaintet
with and to study the individual char
aeteristics in order to be able to ap
proach them with any degree of sne
cess
The session was the first one hell
since the passage of the direct primary
law and the first and most noticeable
feature was the absence of many wh'
had heretofore been considered as per
manent representatives of special inter
ests from certain localities because o