The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1910-01-21
Annual Report of Chas. r.
Case at Hoquiam Con-
vention an Able Docu-
ment-Will be Printed
forGeneral Circulation.
Concluded from Last Weeks Issue.
Assignment of Wages.

assignment OF wages.
Senate bill No. ss, by Senator Cot
terill better known as the ''loan shark
bill" which became law prevents the as
segment of future wages unless such
assignment is accepted in writing by
the employer and recorded with the
county auditor.
SO far az | know members of or
ganized labor represented by this fed
Grafton are free from the evils of this
loan shark system as they are invari-
ably paid fortnightly or oftener. En-
ployes of county, state and municipal
tiles together with those of large mill
ing and manufacturing interests are,
however, frequent sufferers from this
evil
Firemen and Police Relief Pension Fund
After repeated efforts the police and
firemen's relief health and insurance
fund was established While not di
rectly interested we supported the
measure in the belief that at some flu
ture date its influence would assist in
extending to all working men similar
advantages.
Nurses Bill.
nurses in securing their law providing
for examination and registration of
nurses.
Woman's Suffrage.
Much credit is due the suffrage lead
ers of the state, headed by Mrs. Emma
Smith De Voc, for securing the submis.
sion of a constitutional amendment at
the 1910 election, providing for equal
suffrage. Needless to say we gave them
the heartiest support we could. 1t now
behooves us to educate our membership
to the necessity of supporting them at
the polls. We must do more than reso-
lutte favorably at this convention if we
are to see that the right of franchise
is granted them as | am sure you all
want it to be.
Seamen's Legislation.
In behalf of the seamen we were at
last successful in having repealed an
existing statue which related to the en-
ticing of seamen away from ship own
ers. This was copy of a federal statute
which was REPEALED years ago, yet Wash
ington was the first state to follow con-
gress and permit seamen to be free from
the shackles of the days of slavery.
Brother Rosenberg, of the fishermen;
Gill, of the sailors and Andrew Fure-
seth, of the International Seamen,
should be credited for the repeal.
Revised Codes.
Much time and effort was devoted to
revising the criminal educational and
military laws of the state. We followed
these revisions closely, particularly the
criminal and military codes.
The criminal code was passed as pre-
pared by Prosecuting Attorneys Vande-
veer of King and Eveland of Snohomish
counties with few changes by the leg
islature.
| 1t contains nothing that we consider
ed Objectionable, which did not already
exist, but is very sweeping in the list
of crimes and minor vices many of
which are unthinkingly committed daily
The members of the legislature gave
it very little consideration and the
prosecuting attorneys, who prepared It,
have that which they evidently wanted
IA weapon which they can use at their
pleasure to ruin any man or woman
whom they may see fit to attack. For
this and other reasons / would strongly
urge that our movement insofar as pos
sible, keep on friendly terms with
prosecuting attorneys.
Military Code.
The military code, upon first inspec-
tion, seemed to be a drastic measure
but upon closer examination was found
to contain nothing that had not been
on our statutes for years, except that
it provided for several additional com
panies in the state.
Tho building and maintaining of so
many armories, together with the equip
ment and maintenance of so many com
panies, is worthless expenditure OF
the peoples money but so long as our
national government encourages il with
partial national aid so long will the
people fool themselves with the belief
that thay are losing some of Uncle
Sans kind assistance unless they com
ply with his offer and maintain that
which costs them many times as much
as the assistance amounts to.
Favorable Legislation Defeated.
Two measures which the legislature
was pledged by the state republican
convention to enact, went down to de.