The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11
Near Hewitt

ouds Of the motion have the approval Of
a majority of the members elect of the
respective state committees represented
by the members of the national commit
tee supporting such motion.
The national committee is voting on
the following question by the national
secretary: docs motion No. apply to
Lyceum lecturers with whom contracts
had already been made at the time when
the motion was adoptedH"
Motion No is the motion which
fixed the wages of speakers sent out by
the national office at six dollars per day
and railroad fare.
The vote on the national executive
committee motion that the national sec
rotary appoint a territorial secretary for
Alaska for three months was as follows:
Voting yes, Haywood, Irvine, Spargo
The others not voting. No action taken
The vote on the motion to appropri-
ate one hundred dollars toward the sal
ary of the territorial secretary had the
same result.
Arthur Brooks Baker, who was APP
pointed by the national executive COM
mittee to investigate the machinery and
equipment necessary or desirable to
establish a printing plant, is now max
ing this investigation and will report to
the committee at its next meeting
/ Local Allegheny County, Pa, has or
dered another one thousand copies of
"The Usurped Power of the Courts" by
Allan L. Benson.
Evidently the comrades in that vicinity
are determined that the people shall
! know the truth about the courts. There
is no better way to inform them than
by means of this book. 1t shows that
the vast powers assumed by the courts
have no constitutional foundation, but
are merely due to the sublime nerve of
the judges in usurping functions that do
not belong to them. The cover of the
book bears an appeal to the reader to
joint the socialist party and tells him
I NOW 10 secure SOtldllSJ uItIhGult
Price, prepaid, 1000 copies for $25;
100 for So; so for $l.75; 25 for 81; single
copy, 5 cents.
Address National Office, Socialist
Party, Ill North Market St., Chicago.
The amount received at the national
office for dues during the month of Sep
TENDER was $5,3S4.S5. The average
membership for the first nine months of
1912, as evidenced by the dues received,
was 1862.
The new national constitution went
into effect October 4. 1t makes a change
in the method of initiating national ref
erendums. The new provisions are as
follows:
Motions to amend any part of this
constitution, as well as any other mo-
tions or resolution to be voted upon by
the entire membership of the party, shall
be submitted by the executive secretary
to the referendum vote of the party
membership of the party, on the basis of
dues paid in the preceding year, or of
five states regardless of membership.
The term "state" as herein used, shall
be construed to mean the membership of
state organization, the state commit
tee or a duly authorized state executive
committee.
"Such referendum may be initiated
by one state, and when so initiated shall
remain open for ninety days from the
date of its first publication, and unless
it shall receive the requisite number Of
seconds within such period it shall be
abandoned. The vote on every such ref
erendum shall close sixty days from the
date of its submission.
'Referendums to revoke or amend the
provisions of this constitution may be
instituted only one year after the adopt
ion of such provisions
The new constitution also contains the
following provision in regard to exempt
stamps:
"The national office shall also issue
to the state secretaries exempt stamps
free of charge to be used by party mem
bers temporarily unable to pay dues on
account of unemployment caused by
sickness strikes lockouts or any other
condition not within their control In
cases where husband and wife are both
party members and only one of them is
| in receipt of an income the other may
likewise be allowed to use such exempt
stamps
"Any member desiring to use such Eek
empt stamps shall make application
therefor to the financial secretary of his
local organizations and such application
shall be passed upon by such organiza-
ton. Exempt stamps shall be issued
only to members i'm good standing who
have paid dues for mt least three months
and who are 10y the same action exempt
from the payment of dues to the state
and local organization The number of
s.,auuf -f9mu5' shall NOT exceed 10 per