United labor bulletin., 1912-10-10
Three Supervisors Defeat Will OF
People.

Three of Denver's reform supervisors have de
feated the will of the people of Denver. Wher
Henry j. Arnold candidate he appeared before
the people and pledged himself that he would do al
in his power to that laborers for the city were
paid a lust wage. That pledge was made a cam
paign issue in the May election People voted for
Henry j. Arnold for mayor because they believed
that he the friend of the people. He is the
mayor of Denver-made the peoples vote.
There were elected with him those who sought
to carry out the campaign pledges. Among that
number was Alderman Hall. Mr. Hall introduced a
bill in the board of aldermen raising the wages OF
laborers from 1925 per day to $3.50 per day, anc
the wages of teams from $3.50 to So.
The board of aldermen and the board of su
pervisors each voted favorably upon the measure.
and it would have become law had not Mayor
Arnold refused to sign the measure. The mayor
sent the ordinance back to the two Legislative
branches of the city government with letter ex-
planning his position. He said that the city attorney
had given him opinion to the effect that the bill
illegal because it specified that wage higher
than the prevailing wage be paid to laborers on
work to be paid for by special assessment The city
attorney gave it his opinion that the other provl
sions in the ordinance were legal; but the mayor
sought by further and extended argument to show
the city fathers why the ordinance should not be-
law. One of the mayors principal argu-
ments that the proposed law would enhance the
cost of all improvements and would set a higher
standard for common labor than that maintain
ing
When this letter received by the aldermen
they Immediately passed the ordinance the head
of Mayor Arnold by unanimous vote and sent 1t to
the board of supervisors for adoption rejection
Then the different interests got busy to save the
interests of the city from the increase The
pervsors met Tuesday evening with six of the mem
bers present and three of that number voted against
the bill and three voted for it Those voting for and
against the measure follow
For the increase-McGouran, Danks, SeChev-
erell.
Against the increase-Kindel. Skinner, Walker.
The increase for aborers city work and for
teamsters was thus defeated and will require the
introduction of another ordinance in another form
before legislation can be secured for the laborers
Alderman Hail. who introduced the measure,
was greatly disappointed when the bill failed to pass
the city council over the head of the mayor lie
made no secret of his feelings when he said:
That will be the greatest shame that the city
has ever suffered, if we cannot fix living wage
scale for our employees This ordinance fixes the
teams AT - instead of $3.50. Do YOU to tell
that paying living wage now 1t is a
shame burning shame
Mayor Arnold has not kept his word | sat
on the same platform with him several times during
the campaign last spring and he pledged himself 10
that city employees paid living wage. W ny
does he not keep that pledge The cost of living has
advanced ID per cent. in the past two years. Men
cannot keep themselves and their families on the
wages paying. Let the city pay for what 1t
gets just private employer pays for what ne
gets
There may be ground for the illegality of
the measure if to judge from precedent There
has been sufficient precedent to declare every law
the statute boks illegal it is said, if to
the trouble of looking for it but in this ii APP
pears that precedent to have the law declared legal
has not been sought
1t is argued that if the state set eight hours
days work, surely the city set minimum
wage. Then it is pointed out that the Progressive
party has declared for minimum wage for women
as well men: and if this be done then surely
city say what is the least laborer for the city
any kind of work should receive.
But since the city attorney and the mayor have
declared that 1928 is the standard wage in Denver
and recognized the standard wage because it is
largely paid than any other wage and therefore
be maintained until labor establishes another
scale another wage is established by scant labor
market, why should not Organized Labor call the
bluff and the insult of those who find precedent
suit every and organize the city laborers into
laborers union and set scale of So. .75 for
laborl
In San Francisco common labor is paid So on
city work. and there is no law making that mini-
wage. either. That scale is set by the union.
and the organization is affiliated with the Building
Trades Council, and is considered of the strong
est organizations in the coast city.
Let labor call this bluff.