United labor bulletin., 1912-03-14
ORGANIZED LABOR VS.. THE MILITARY.

in matters pertaining to the military and CIVIC
bodies does organized labor pursue the right course
Three different propositions before the
Denver Trades and Labor assembly Sunday, and
their disposition raises question that should bring
forth much discussion to the correctness of the
action taken.
The first of these subjects was the proposed
loan of $150000 to the state military board from
the school fund by the state land board The mill
tary board desires this fund to build an armory for
the companies of state militia located in Denver
The $50 600 would if the loan made author
lied by the eighteenth general assembly, come from
the state school fund.- and would be paid back at the
rate of $4,000 year from money paid to the state
military board by the federal and government
for its support. The state school fund is now de-
posted in the First National bank at per cent,
while the loanng of this fund to the military
board would bring per cent
1t is well known by those who conversant
with the affairs of state and the military that the
proposed armory Will eventually be built The mill
tary board owns the lots at Washington and Nine
teenth avenues worth in the neighborhood of $40,-
600, and these lots and the proposed building could
be incumbered sufficiently with some additional
security, to build the proposed armory- The build
ing of the armory is assured; and by taking this
the military board may act free handed and
may employ whomsoever they please to erect the
arInory. Since organized labor has fit to op-
pose the loan of state school funds it is certain that
organized labor will have part in the erection of
the proposed armory
But on the other hand, if organized labor had
fit to oppose the loanng of the school fund
for the building of the state armory agreement
could have been made whereby union labor would
have done all the work the armory-and
$150000 worth of work at this time would have
been small item, considering the number of
union in Denver that out of work
The land board is very friendly to organized
labor and it is believed that the loan would not be
made unless organized labor in favor of the
proposition; and now. since organized labor mas
gone record in opposition TO the loan, it can be
safely said that the loan will not be made.
Then again when the money is drawing but
cent in he First hank Of he
better to loan the same to the military board for 8
per cents The Bulletin believes it would be- when
il is taken into consideration that organized labor
would have received the greater part of the S5OO0O
While The Bulletin Is not in favor of the military in
any sense of the word, yet it believes that the
interests that now hold the money and receiving
the benefit from reloanng ii at greater per cent
are not friendly TO organized labor than the
military board. The people that own the First
National bank the interests that the power
behind the military.
The Socialists in the assembly among those
that opposed to the loan and this is occasion
when those members have deviated from the well
beaten path of opposing the and the result
what follows. The Bulletin with the Socialist
is opposed to the military; but The Bulletin, against
the Socialist opposed to fighting results in this
case because nothing be accomplished and great
financial harm will result to the workers of Denver
in the building trades. By preventing the loan
being made, the school fund will lose the extra
per cent. on large amount, while the interests
that control the First National bank will profit to
the school fund deposited in that institution
We say Look at the workers Inconsistency
and be consistent
AT the session of the central body the
retary, by unanimous vote, instructed to write
to representatives in congress and urge them to
their influence and votes to have of the proposed
new battleships constructed in the Brooklyn navy
yard owned by the government In this institution
large numbers of union machnists. structural iron
workers. electricians and others employed If
the assembly is opposed to the building of armory
where union men would be employed. then why
should not the assembly ask the Representatives in
congress oppose the building of battleships where
union men would be employed9 The argument is
in favor of the armory and against the battleshp
for in the former instance members of Denver unions
would be employed.
The one argument against the armory is that it
will be used house the state militia, and the state
militia is nearly always used in labor troubles. while
on the other hand the navy is used to defend the
nation against invasion by foreign power: but the
navy will be used to put down rebellion in sister
republics where the fighting for freedom
from the yoke of corporate interests and the time
will come. in all likelihood, when it win be used to
quell rebellion in this country when the hand of
porate power becomes frightened about the throat of
the socaed great middle class. There is differ
between the militia, the standing army and the
navy-each is fostered and subsidized by the federal
government.
At the same meeting of the central body com
municatons were ordered the representatives
in congress, asking them to use their votes to pre-
vent enlisted men from doing the work that be
done by civilian employees in and around the Boston
navy yard Here have the same proposition,
only in another form. If the Denver Trades and
Labor assembly is opposed to the building of
armory where union men could be employed then
why, in all fairness, should it not be opposed to
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