The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-03-18
STATE LABOR COUNCIL, 5s.....
MAKES GOOD SHOWING
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Dor temple, which is said to be the
best in the west.
Secretary-Treasurer Report.
Secretary-treasurer McEwen re-
ported the work of his office for the
past three months. He said that he
! had been busy writing letters to un-
affiliated unions with fair degree
OF success. He recited the work Of
| organization performed and made g.
series of recommendations bearing up
| on the work Of the federation: This
| together with his financial report was
accepted by the council
Organizers Report.
Organizer Chubbuck made en- ex-
haustive verbal report Of his work
during the past three months. He was
| warmly commended for the good that
! he had done the cause.
Legislative Agent Becker reviewed
| at length the progress Of labor legis-
| lation before the legislature. He
| called attention to several vicious bills,
| and urged action by the council He
| reported the text Of the initiative and
| referendum bill which passed tho
house on Friday last
This gave an opening for a discus
| sion that waxed wsrm for a consid-
| cradle time. Almost every member
| Of the council participated in the
| discussion, but the Pfeander bill did
not find a friend in the council.
Secretary treasurer McEwen was
| asked by the chair to explain the bill
| and the probable effect of its amend
VII. ~ -
The high per centage was denounced
as prohibitive to every character Of
! economic legislation.
! The denial of the voters to prohi-
bit petition for measures unless they
shall have received the support Of
twenty per cent of the members Of
the legislature at the previous ses-
| sion was characterized as a vital blow
at the principle Of direct legislation.
Resolutions Adopted.
| The council concluded after much
deliberation to endorse the following
resolutions and they were ordered
seEt to the legislature forthwith:
! Whereas: The Minnesota State Fed
Grafton since it's organization in 1890
has been committed to the principle
of direct legislation through the ini-
tiative and referendum, and
Whereas: We have repeadly petit
toned the legislature Of Minnesota to
amendment to the constitution that
would provide for the initiative and
referendum, and
Whereas: we have carefully ex-
| amined H. F. 71s, which passed the
| house of representatives on Friday,
| and have found that tho bill contains
| SO many restrictions that the use Of
| the initiative feature is prohibitive
| for most purposes, and more parti-
cularly SO to labor, notable among
! which is the percentage provision.
! and the requirement that such per-
! centage shall be so distributed as to
! include at least "seven 60 per CEN
tum Of the legal vote in each Of at
least three fifths of the counties of
the state" in procuring any initiative
petition.
Labor has neither the facilities nor
the resources to secure petitions in
50 counties of the state.
Another Objectionable feature, If
we understand the bill correctly, is
that it does not permit the initiation
of constitutional amendments.
Neither does the bill provide for
the direct initiative, which we hold
to be a cardinal principle of direct
legislation.
Because of these and other objec-
lions it is hereby
Resolved: By the Executive Council
of the Minnesota State Federation of
Ia hnr in ,1o~ 49,
assembled, that we most strongly and
emphatically protest against the pas
sage of H. F. us in it's present form,
and the friends Of labor in the legis-
lature are hereby requested to use
their efforts to have the bill amended
so that it will conform to the rea-
sonable demands of justice and equity,
and If they cannot obtain the adop-
ton of such amendments we would
respectfully urge them to vote against
the bill, for we would rather tolerate
the present system two years longer,
than to permit of the Incorporation
of a wrong principle into the funda-
mental law Of this state
Railway Car Men.
The secretary-treasurer was in
structed to write to the headquarters
Of the Brotherhood of Railway Car
men and request the officers of that
organization to urge their local unions
in Minnesota to affiliate with the
federation.
A letter was also ordered sent to
the management of the Winona Shoe
company thanking the firm for adopt
ting the stamp of the Boot and Shoe
Workers union and assuring it of the
support and patronage of organized
labor in this state.
Miscellaneous.
The secretary was ordered to ar
range for the publication Of the pro-
ceedings Of the next convention. He
was also directed to proceed to Man.
kato and make preparations for tho
next convention.
Each of the vice presidents was d.
rected to visit the unions in his dis
trict and urge them to get in good
standing with the federation.
President HoWly was requested to