The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-05-06
LABOR
L L! slA ] BOARD ]
Chairman Charges Defeat Of In
itiative and Referendum 10
Well Known Party. u
ALLEGATIONS MADE or
VERY SERIOUS IMPORT
Shows Why Progressive Legislar
ton Jared So Poorly With
Our Lawmakers.

The following communication from
r. E. Jones Of Two Harbors, chair
man of the Minnesota state legislative
board, Brotherhood of Locomotive
Firemer and Enginemen, speaks for
itself, - and for obvious reasons we
submit it to our readers without note
or comment: -..& = y .* r.. =:
Two Harbors, Mimi, May 2, 1911.
The Labor World, 's/s
Duluth, Mimi. S:.= .%,s.' :: - 4
Gentlemen: @1&:Ss NJ.
After rea&lng number OF: editor
ials in your paper relative to the
initiative and referendum in which
you state that the q. F. Of l.. have
always stood ,.for.ahis measure, it
seems to me that 1t would not be
out of place to state at this time
why the initiative and referendum
is not: q law In Minnesota 1T the pres
ent time. 1-z-,s5. .= Il
/. The joint labor legislative board of
!, Minnesota, composed Of the M. 8. f.
of L.. the B. Of r. r. ana tho b. Of
L: F. and E., sent out circular letters
to all candidates 4 for the legislature,
previous to the last state election,
asking them If they would support q
bill providing for tho initiative and
referendum, and we, received - flfty
favorable replies. > After the legis-
lature convened there were about Z
different bills introduced and the ma
jority, Of the joint legislative board
Endorsed the Campbell bill, with a
percentage Of and 10, and we so
advised the friends Of labor in the
house and senate.
The: day before this bill was to
come to vote, on q special order,
a number OF house. members came to
Mr.. McGrath, secretary Of the board,
and myself and advised us that the
legislative agent: Of the Minnesota
Federation Of Labor had Z. come to
them and released them from their
pledge to vote for the initiative and
referendum. They claimed that G. H.
Becker, legislative agent, had stated
that the Nj. S.: F. Ct, L. did not want
an initiative and referendum bill
passed. -s:.'..~
The other members of: the board
Immediately took the matter up with
Mr.. Becker, who stated that he was
working under the Instructions Of Mr..
Howley, president Of. the NJ. F.: of L..
and that II he did not obey his in
structions that Mr. I4owley would dis
charge him as legislative agent.
1 Immediately preferred charges
| against Becker ands the majority 81
the. board. voted to1expel MIN from
the board as we could not continue
to work with q man who would de.
| liberatelys ignore the Instructions, OF
the board. ~. rs 5.::..ssss: -
Mr.. Howley, president of the Min
| nesota State Federation Of Labor, ii,
interviews, stated to every paper in
Minneapolis that the NJ. s. F. of L.
did not want an initiative and refer
endunn bill passed and, that they were
opposed to all bills relating to the
same. ::'sss - =: ~.z
The result of. their actions was that
twelve house members who had
pledged themselves to the board in
favor of the: initiative and .referen-
dunn, voted against the Campbell bill,
and gave as their excuse that Becker
had released them. and that they sup
posed that lie had authority to do SO.
If these twelve men had voted for
the bill it would have passed the
! mouse and we have every reason to
believe the senate also. 49, /.
The only: opposition to the :; bill
came from the breweries, who main
tanned a large lobby in opposition
to it,. 49,
+ 1t would seem to me that the M.
F. Of L.scAnnot allow the. public and
the other labor: organizations, In the
state to be under the. impression that
they have Joined hands with the
breweries and are opposed to progress
sive Legislation. ..><
The labor organizations of the state
are waiting with considerable interest
to see what action the M. f. of L..
take d. regards Mr. HowIey.
Yours fraternal, -
i r. E. JONES,
Chairman Joint Labor Leg. Board.