United labor bulletin. (Denver, Colo.) 19??-1915, 1910-06-30

And the Union men of Denver and
Colorado should laugh with glee. The
Farmers Union are coming to Denver
and before the new year smiles on US
the Farmers Union will be selling you
the necessities OF life and you can be a
partner In the business II you wish.
And when we write this. we can fairly
feel the octopus loosening its grp on hui
manity. First one long. snaky arm will
drop helpless. and We will see the others
slipping to their certain doom. Let US
hasten the time.
This is what brought Mr.. vanDeventer
TO the Assembly Sunday. He wanted TO
tell the delegates what the octopus was
doing and TO lay before them the remedy.
Mr.. vanDeventer gave some interest
ing figures relating to the high cost o.
living. laying II chiefly at the doors OF
manufacturers. merchants and middle
men. He gave figures to show that q
gold watch which reiails for s23 has in
II not more than 81 worth of material
and that the work on Il costs only S2.62
Sxoes which retail for s. cost to make,
Including royalties paid on machines
used in the manufacture, about GO cents
The leather costs about 10 cents. he said,
and the entire cost OF production does
NJ, he claimed. exceed 81. He insisted
that NO pair OF shoes should cost L.
wearer more than $500.
As a remedy he suggested the total
abolishment OF the middieman and the
selling by producer TO consumer. as
nearly as possible. He also insisted that
high freight rates was an important fac
tor in the high cost OF living. and sug-
gested that the Assembly invite Super
visor George j. Klndel TO deliver an ad-
dress on the freight rate situation. but
the Assembly will consider the inviting
of KIndel more seriously before they
send the Invitation.
Mr.. vanDeven;er then took up the sub
ject of legislation and said. in part:
Make your legislators vote right on
all direct Legislation bills at the special
session OF the legislature. The people OF
Colorado certainly need direct legisla-
ton. and | am confident that the trades
unions are unanimously in favor OF IT,
The friends of the initiative, referendum
and recall have 1t In their power TO
force their senators and representatives
to give them these tools Of democracy.
They can sho wthe members OF the legis-
lnture. by writing and telegraphing TO
them and visiting them In person when
the special session convenes. that they
will not accept any excuse for their fall
ure TO stand by the bills which they
pledged themselves to support when they
we're elected.
Every senator and representative who
was pledged before his election to the
support OF these measures should be
shown clearly that there Is no political
future for him In his district unless he
supports them with his influence and his
vote.
1--WE need the recall as badly as We
do any of the other proposed political
reforms. with that we would soon be
able to rid ourselves of legislators who
do not vote for the enactment OF laws
they were elected TO enact"
And TO show how badly the recall is
needed. Mr. vanDeventer had photo
graphs with him OF the household goods
of miners on the Western slope who
were evicted from company houses when
they had their rent paid In advance. The
household effects were thrown over an
embankmcnt by the sheriff and every
thing ruined. II ever n man should be
recalled II is that sheriff and the judge
that upheld his act.
And now we have condition in north
ern Colorado that needs mentioning
Hundreds of miners in the northern
Colorado coal fields who have been on
strike for several months are beinf
eyicted from the houses controlled by
! the different companies. Some OF them
have been compelled to leave homes they
have occupied for quarter of a cen
tury--homes they built with their own
hands and money. but which we're on
company property. Now the coal com
panies say that the houses belong to
them by lapse of years and have conhs'
Gated some of them.
The legal rights in the cases are to be
tested in the county court OF bouiuer
county, where the Northern Coal ana
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