The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-12-24
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
PLATFORM DEMANDS
UNION WAGE SCALE

UVIUu UhuL QUILL
The following platform recently
| promulgated by the Duluth Public
Ownership party is of especial inter-
est to the organized workers Of the
city and county in that it contains
among its provisions a plank that
will readily find favor with members
of organized labor.
Item No. 4 Of the platform, under
the head Of immediate demands, says:
I'VE demand that a scale Of wages
equal to the union scale in different
callings be adopted on city work Of
all kinds.'
| This ought to satisfy any sensible
union man no matter what his polit-
! ical beliefs.
! Here Is the program with which
the Socialists of this city go into the
coming municipal campaign:
| We, the members Of the Public
Ownership party of Duluth, Mime
sofa, as our platform and declaration
Of principles, upon which we shall
stand at the coming city election:
| First-Re-affirm our allegiance to
the principles of national and inter-
| national Socialism as the same is set
forth and expressed in the national
! Platform of the Socialist party
adopted at Chicago, Illinois, in 1908.
Second-We clearly see. what no
one who is a student of economic
questions can fail to observe, that
l s$o1 &C.. IT.
mission is drawing to close and it
is about to be displaced by an eco
| nomic and political and industrial
organization. the philosophy of which
is already we'll defined and which is
best described by the term Social
ISM"
Third-We also realize that these
capitalistic combinations also own and
control the old political organizations,
national, state and municipal, and
determine the decisions and direct
the activities of most public officials
in the legislative, executive and judi
| cial departments of the present gov
| ernments, local and national, and
who make, cOnstrue and execute the
laws of the land in their own inter-
ests and in the interests of the cap
italistic class, their masters, contrary
to the welfare of the masses of the
people and In way destructive to
that equality of opportunity. that must
inhere in every country where the
people are happy and safeguarded by
justly made and executed laws
Fourth--We recognize that the
main basic propositions of Socialism,
(to-wit: the social ownership and
control Of natural resources and of
the tools and instruments of social
production and distribution and their
operation in such production and
J distribution for the use of the people
and not for the profit of the few and
the exploitation Of the many, will
eventually come in some form; yet
unless the problems confronting soci-
ETY. are understood and worked out
along the right lines the change may
not be accomplished without an I'M
desirable upheaval of society and
great human suffering. Therefore it
is that we urge the immediate recog-
milton Of the following necessities in
the city of Duluth, which we put
forth as immediate demands and ask
join us in electing men to municipal
office who will stand squarely for
n these things.
Immediate Demands.
1. We demand that the city insist
upon a better and higher grade OF
gas than is now passing through the
city mains, the product Of the pri-
vate corporation that is now manu-
featuring and furnishing it to the
city. and we further demand. that the
matter of the grade of said gas now
being so furnished be at once investi-
gated, and that provision be made for
a constant and rigid inspection there
of by the city authorities.
2. We demand that there be here
after no discrimination in the fur
nishing of gas or water to individuals
or corporations as now exists. These
utilities were secured by the city for
the. people and the people, poor as
we'll as rich; small consumers as we'll
as large consumers, should have an
equal rate, and the plants should not
be operated in. the interests of large
consumers as is now apparent. We
demand an immediate investigation
Of this subject.
3. We demand that a municipal
hospital of ample dimensions be al
once planned, constructed and
equipped and put into operation by
the city Of Duluth, in the interests OF
all citizens Of whatever creed or con-
dition of life, and that site advan-
tageous and sanitary be at once Sc
lected and purchased for that pur-
pose.
4. We demand that a scale OF
wages equal to the union scale in
different callings be adopted on city
work of all kinds.
S. We demand that all public
work including street and sewer work
be done by the city under skilled and
competent superintendent and no
public work shall be let by contract.
s. That we believe radical