The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1911-12-01

HI. HH.#-H.#.H. "I.#a#. GOWN e.
.tH. a.I.uaI uIH.e and tH. .aHmI.H.
considerable adverse criticism and tHe
..aHI.an 81 a r.oaH motion ag tae ua.
HaHaI committee. Certainly. tHIs wae
aH Ia. 10 lack cd Information and De-.
cause al au under current CI m.stu-t
ana su-H5.au that bIs lately been uIti-
waited m certain quarters within she
PARTY. However. 70 is wei to know the
TACT. of tins ease 10 prevent such snap
Judgment iu the future
The Call
May 5. lglo. Local Doadwooi, Alaska,
wrote tie national office am urgent plea
for the assignment oi national organ
izer for than summer and said in part.
We feel confident that at least ten
OF a dozen new locals can be organized.
Plenty of socialism here. ID would be
kard 10 find a gang oI a dozen men
working together but that there were
socialist. among them. Local Dead
wood pill be glad to pa. ITS proportion
of tli, organizing tup, but think if
proHeIIv handled il would be made
nearly. If not quite self supporting.
June 80. 1910, Local Seattle, Washing
ton. bv resolutions requested the nation
al executive committee to arrange a
tour for an organizer IN Alaska, and
stated:
We are of the opinion that no ma
tional organizer could be employed IN
territory that would yield larger re-
suits
The Seattle resolutions was the result
of communications received by 1t from
Alaska, and the personal knowledge Of
a number Of its members who had VS.
tied Alaska.
During the rest of the year 1910 let
tcrs Of a similar import came from Sc
attic and comrades ia Alaska, the later
ones asking for arrangements 10 be made
for the present year.
The national executive committee IN
sessions in August, October and Deem
Der. 1910. considered these requests, the
same being noted in the minutes, and
at the latter session decided to make
the assignment.
Amendments Of the proposed trip
and arrangements for the same were
made from time to time IN the weekly
and monthly bulletins. At the begin
ming Of tins year there were about 1000
subscribers to socialist periodicals. scat
tered all over the territory, and to each
OF these samples OF seven propaganda
leaflets, together with other literature,
were sent IN advance OF the organizer.
On June y Comrade Goebel left Sc
attic as vet undecided whether TO only
make the coast towns or the entire tour
through the interior and down the
Yukon 10 Nome. The decision depended
upon conditions and circumstances as
might develop.
The trip to Nome was made, and Com
rade Goebel arrived back in Seattle on
September 20. The results speak for
themselves and fully justify both the
opinions Of the comrades making the
call and the action OF the national execu-
tive committee
Locals "a ere planted IN thirteen towns,
the number Of members ranging from SIX
to thirty nine an average Tor each local
Of seventeen members. Considering the
time occupied, this doubles any organ
izing record, regardless Of district OF
territory, covered II the history OF our
party. Yet the recall national commit
tea read: place him where
= organization efforts would bel
more productive OF results"
But, aside from the above eXtraordi-
nary record. let Us take into account the
finances. and we find that the trip from
Seattle through Alaska and the return
to Alaska showed receipts over expenses
Of more than $3.50, that i, the comrades
and the public IN Alaska paid the freight.
They wanted an organizer and they more
than paid for the trip, and they now
want another, or several, next year.
The warm spirit Of the cold north Is
probably best shown by the fact that
several locals which did not expect a
visit from the organizer, IN fact, ad-
vised against il, and consequently were
not visited, pledged funds, and Local
Dsadwood alone, with thirty members,
contributed sl06.
There is evidence Of an international
spirit that must command the respect
Of socialists, and Is entitled to consid-
Grafton. Comrade 6Oebel says IN his
report: Having given OF time and
money and effort a. did the Alaskan
comrades, they should not find their
own voting TO treat them the same as
do the capitalist politicians al Wash
ingtOn-as saTages and wards, 10 be
exploited but never helped
The national executive committed at
the last meeting, October a, again de-
eided to make special efforts for prop
uganda IN Alaska
Their election viii be held in the
month Of August next, and a very big
increase in The socialist vote is an as
zured fact.
Having kept close TAB on labor condi-
lions in Alaska for several years, and
besides knowing the sentiments and
metal Of the comrades there. l readily
agree with their insistent claim, that
they have a good chance 10 send a so
eiaist 10 congress.
But the necessary preparatory work
must be done al the earliest possible
date
A CONVERSATION.