Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-10-18

| Labor, and the Illinois State Fedora
ton of Labor, and the law provided
for bill to investigate both liability
and compensation. The same idea
has been adopted and joint commits
sions are now at work in Ohio, Wis
consin, Oregon, Massachusetts,, Min
nesota and number of other states.
The Missouri state federation recon-
mended such a course a few weeks
ago. The New York state federation
Endorsed the law drafted by a SINH
lar commission and now in effect
asking for several changes in the
way of betterment
Ambulance Chasing.
In one of the industrial cities of
Illinois of some $4,000 inhabitants
two livery stables each have an am
bulance and some five or six car
riages. The story is current in the
city that there exists a standing or
der with the livery keepers that a
call for an ambulance includes a call
for the II carriages. The ambu-
lance goes to the shop or the mine
to convey the injured workman to
the hospital. The carriages make
scheduled stops for the benefit of
certain professional men of the city.
All of this merely leads up to a
question which will be presented to
the voters when they go to the polls
next month. Every political party
has incorporated in its platform of
principles the Endorsement of the in
itiative and the referendum. For
years the trades unionists of the
states have demanded the adoption
of this reform. Every labor organi-
zation in the state has endorsed the
issue. Every trade journal has
opened its columns to a discussion
of the subject. Political parties have
shouted its worth from the platform.
The. officers of the state declarations
have referred to the subjects as of
great Importance in addressing la
Dor organizations throughout the
state. Now we are going to have a
chance to vote for these measures.
If we vote as we have preached we
will have the opportunity through
the initiative to draft our own laws.
Through the referendum we will vote
upon these measures in our own
meeting halls and thereafter at the
polls. For the first time in the his
tory Of the states we will have real
representative government in ILL
nois. Especial effort should be made
to secure a vote so large for the in
itiative and referendum at the fall
election that the coming legislature
will grant a full measure of liberty
on this most important subject.
Practical Utility of Federation.
During the last fiscal year 217
strikes were noted in the annual re-
port of Secretary Frank Morrison of
the American Federation of Labor.
The cost of these strikes to the in
dividual membership of the trade
union varied from one-fifth of one
cent to s6.25 per member, or an
average of SO cents per capita to
the trades involved.
The Garment Workers head the
list in minimum cost with one-fifth
of one cent each for strike pur-
poses. The Boot and Shoe Workers
spend eight-tenths of a cent each to
carry on the warfare for one year
Carpenters and joiners come next
with 1 cent. Machinists used 16
cents of their annual per capita tax
and the typographical union % cents,
according to the figures given by A.
L. Studer in the Machinists' Jour
nal
From these figures the expendi-
lures mount rapidly to considerable
amounts. and it is noteworthy that
the organizations which hold aIoof
from state central bodies pay out
much more money and win fewer
contests in their industrial battles
than DO those organizations who
make a consistent campaign for bet
ter conditions.
With the beginning of the new
year the marking of garments in the
penal and reformatory institutions
Of the state will be a thing Of the /
past. When one considers the ex-
tent of the industry and the many
thousands of shirts and overalls an
nually thrown on the open market |
the gain to free labor through the re- |
moval of this competition shows a |
distinct advance. It will be well for /
labor to continue an active /
interest in this subject. For weeks /
past the daily papers have contained |
articles showing the alleged wisdom !
Of establishing even greater work |
shops in the penal institutions, not !.
IF Illinois but of the country.
Increased Cost of Living.
The steady increase in the cost of
living is a subject which should re-
,eive careful consideration at this
meet. Wages are not keeping pace
With the demands made upon the
in his efforts to care for \
lis family. 1t is all very well for
God experts and philanthropists to
ell us to buy the cheaper cuts"
'he question staring the worker in
he face is to get any cuts at all. II
House rent has advanced, clothing II
Leteriorates in quality and steadily j