The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-08-17
PRESIDENT DoNoGAUE MAKES
HIS ANNUAL REPORT AT
GREAT FALLS.
ROAD WORK
Federation Now in Session Goes on
Record As Opposed TO Present Plan
Of Firing Odt Convicts--Numbcr or
Ee5olutions Are Passcd--Mssoula
Men on Committees.


Great Falls. Aug. G..--tSprcial1 At
Tie morning session, ~ m Montana,
Federation Of abor. whi.'h IL In an
nntl convention here. president M. NJ.
Donoghuc read his annual report
which occupied nrtIr'y the entire fore
noon, at the finish of Which an al
jonrnincnt was taken until : o'clock.
Regarding convict labor. President
Donoghuc said In part
THE officers Of the Montana Fed
craticn OF Labor sent to all the unions
affiliated and all other unions. resolu-
tions Of protest against the actions Of
the state board of prison commission
crs In allowing corvicts To work on
the roads of the state. In this par
ticular case all unions regardless of
affiliations. with very few exceptions.
stand united. We are us. thoroughly
imbucd with II feeling Of sympathy
for the poor unfortunatcs who COM
nit. or who are convicted of commit
| ting infractions of the laws of the
land. as arc any other element In our
state: but we want those who advo-
| vate prison labor from II humane
standpoint TO consider that there are
thousands of men. some of them
heads of families, WHO have always
observed and obcyed the law; who
have always been good citizens; who
are endeavorlng to rear and educate
their children so that they too may
| become good citizens. We want them
to consider that these people must be
provided for instead ~ spnp houses
/ l.ul. H.
some cities and counties In the past
during tho dull times that the state
ana counties furnish to free labor
employment upon the roads and high
ways Of the state. We want them to
consider that the welfare of the free
labOrcr III more dear to us than that
of those whose only worry s that of
being deprived Of their liberty"
The Cost Of Living.
/ Concerning the increased cost Of
living. president Donoghuc said:
| THE Silver Bow Trades and Labor
council appointed II committee To in
vestigate the cost of living in Butte.
They show that wages during the past
| 10 years have Increased on an average
Of 8 per cent, While the increase In
| the cost of living has been Al per
cent; showing the cos. of living to be
39 per cent over and above the In
crease In wages. The wage of the
poorest paid lobarer has not Increased
during the past 10 years. So consc-
uuently those whose wages have not
been Increased have to bear the bur
den of the entire Al per cent of In
i ,.ua II. ltn n ittn
Resolutions introduced.
/ Among resolutions Introduced are.
Calling for the facing of the capitol
building at Helena with granite so as
to conform to the new wings OF that
building now In the course of con-
struction; In regard to the employers
liability act: organizing the mill and
lumber workers of the state and the
use or the union label on all prod
ucts.
| Anton Oberlneyer Of Butte intro
duced resolution asking that all
convicts employed by the state he
paid union wages In the different
communities In which they are eln-
ployed.
Tho following Missoula men were
appointed on committees by president
Donoghuc: q. Nlbley. on boycotts:
j. II. Norman, on grievances and r. +.
Wilburn. on presidents report.
Tho report recommended that this
convention take action to bring II to
tho attention Of the proper authorities,
1 and request Of them the strict en-
forcement of the present laws and
that our laws be so amended as to
| state plainly on packages and boxes
containing cereals etc. the net wight
contained therein
Further recommendation was that
this convention go on record as psk-
Ing the next Legislature to broaden
and extend the scope of the present
free employment law, making 1t APP
i ply to cities of the first and second
class; that we go on record as fay
oring a high license for private en-
ployment agencies, and reduction in
the fees exactcd by them from appi,
cantS for positions
Tho report Of the secretary treas
urer, o. M. Partelow Of Butte. showed
that during the past year that 5S af-
filiations had been made with the
Montana Federation of Labor. which
represented AM Traditional membership
OF $500.