The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1912-11-30
Secretary of Fort Worth Trades
Assembly Declares Organized
Labor Holds Balance of Power
In His City Since Aldermanic
Ward Representation Has Been
Abolished. 49,
Other Officials from Different
Cities Warmly Endorses New
System - All Take High
Ground-Meat in Their. En-
dorsements for Duluth Work.
ingmen to Well Consider,


ingmen to Well Consider.
is an ardent admirer Of the commits
sion form. In his letter to The Labor
World he says:
Il am of the opinion that the COM
mission form Of government is the
thing and the only thing for the poor
man, and it is essential to the rich
in several ways as we'll. We have
very few towns in Texas that do not
have 1t and they are voting in those
few as fast as they can.
1T gives all the people a chance to
study the government affairs of your
city, puts them in direct touch with
your. city affairs and gives you
chance to abolish greed and graft. ,
There are so many things bene-
tlclal to the laborer under the COM
mission form system it would take
lots of time to give them to YOU"
Charles Perry Taylor, of Tacoma,
WASH, where the commission form
Of government has had exciting ex-'
perfenCe, hits the nail on the head
and declares that "Union workingmen
OF Tacoma believe the commission
form OF government preferable to the
Old system of city council government.
We have not secured men as COM
missioners. conspicuously favorable to
union labor, but much Of the old-time
city graft has been ousted. We have the
referendum and recall and. have re-
called com missioners who were @un-
g al %
Labor here is not a power polite
ally, and we have not BEEN able to
whip commercial interests in our city
politics. but there is no question that
commission form of government Is
better, more economical, more honest.
more reasonable to the people, more
efficient, than the old-time political
graft, ring rule that we had undr the
city council system"
graft, ring rule that we had under the
Oklahoma Labor Solid.
c. c. Zeigler Of Oklahoma City,
Okla, president of the State Fedora
tion of Labor, states that as a whole
the workingmen of Oklahoma prefer
the commission form of government,
He believes that well-drawn. charter
able to the old system.
P. j. Doherty, secretary of the Gen.
trail Labor Union of Mobile, Ala, to
whom we sent a copy of the proposed
Duluth charter, states that he likes 1t
very much. He believes it will give
the people of Duluth absolute control.
over public utilities. which they have
not had under the present form of
government. He states that the COM
mission form of government in his
city is far more preferable to the OLD
system.
A. L. Baker, Sheffield, Ala, presi-
dent Of the Tri-Cities Trades Coun-
Gil, answering our letter, declares that
the working people are pleased. with
the commission form of government
in Sheffield. His letter reads as fol-.
lows:
while we have only had our COM
mission form of government for two
improvement in our city. L.. think
your laboring people will never regret
voting for the commission form of
government. We are we'll pleased
with it here.'
beatS Ol0 ward system. -.
]. T. Grissom, who was a member of
the charter commission that drafted
the Okmulgee, Oklahoma commission
charter, and who is secretary of the
Trade and Labor Council Of that city,
states that they have a charter that the
laboring people are proud of, and it has
been the means Of strengthening
their cause in that city. His letter
in part reads as follows:
Il am in receipt Of your letter of
inquiry of the 10Th inst. In answer
will say that so far as I know every
citizen Of Okmulgee is highly pleased
with our commission form of gov
ernment. Even those who fought it
bitterly in the beginning admit now
that it is a big improvement over. the
old aldermanic system.
I'm some respects our commission
ers are not carrying out the letter and
spirit Of the charter. We don't know
whether IL is a lack of ability, on their
part, or willful neglect: but, in either
event, all recognize the fact that it
is from no defect In the SYSTEM" 4
Kansas Labor Gratified. -.
= w. A. Burton, secretary of the
Trade and Labor Assembly of, Inde-
pendence, Kansas does noe mince his
words In advising the workingmen.
of Duluth to vote for the city charter.
This is how he puts it:
: Fully 80 per cent of the people Of
this city, after a trial Of about four
yearsf are strongly in favor. OF the
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