The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1912-03-22
WORK AHEAD
FOR LABOR
PRESIDENT CASE OUTLINES
TO TRADES COUNCIL SOME
OF THE LEGISLATION THE
STATE FEDERATION WILL
FIGHT FOR BEFORE THE
NEXT LEGISLATURE.

lCSiuChO SdoC VI piC oooOS iCuCi"
tion of Labor was with us at the Trades
Council Friday evening and when called
upon by the chair gave one of his char
acteristic addresses. We wish the hall
might have been packed with union
men as Brother Case always has some
thing worth while to say. We quote as
tial parts of his talk.
"It was not so many years ago that
when appearing before conventions of
farmers. Now we are welcomed with
open arms for our viewpoint has be-
come the same. At the last legislative
session in Olympia we worked in com
plete harmony for legislation desired by
both farmers and wage earners. As
producers we have learned that what
benefits one class benefits the other. [
have invitations at the present time to
address gatherings of farmers in East
ern Washington and work with them
which would take two months of my
time were l able to accept them all"
Zone of the most important subjects
coming before our late convention in
Spokane was the employment office
evil" The chain of graft connecting
the employment sharks in the different
cities is pretty well established and city
officials commissioners of commission
governed cities are cooperating with us
in trying to deal with the evil Free
employment offices operated by the
municipalities can only alleviate the
condition-not eXterminate it-as long
as the employment shark working hand
in hand with the unscruplous employer
is allowed to do business. Uniform state
legislation that shall legislate the en-
ployment shark out of business is what
is needed and what we shall try to OBJ
tain at the next session.
"a minimum wage law for women
workers is one of the big fights ahead
of us at the legislature. The justice of
such law cannot be denied by right
thinking men and women. Employers
of labor will fight such measure bit
terly with every resource at their com
mand. 1t may take several sessions of
the legislature, as it did to secure the
submission of direct legislation to the
people. We expect to have the SACRED
rights vouschafed under the constitu-
ton flung at us with all the venom of
a hostile press but we shall fight for
and secure such law just the same.
1--WE want better child legislation and
are going to work for it. Through the
joint legislative committee we are going
to renew the fight for the passage of
house bill go, the power to amend the
constitution through the initiative and
referendum. This is the keynote to the
machinery of popular government, the
cornerstone of the entire structure. It
passed the house but died in committee
in the senate because we would not
allow the bill to be emasculated until
its effectiveness was gone. This meas
ure will be put up to every candidate
for the legislature and his attitude to-
ward it put plainly on record before the
voters of the state.
"We have issued a complete legisla-
tive report covering the action of all
legislators on our measures. This is the
4 first time such a report has been issued
and some of the lawmakers do not like it
/ although not single member has dared
to dispute its truthfulness. roll call
on final passage of any member does
1 not show a members real record on
measure. He may have voted for it on
final passage and at the same time
have worked and voted for every amend
ment aimed at the vitals of the measure.
1t has not been an uncommon thing for
a member seeking reelection to point
loudly to his final vote on our measures.
prudently forgetting his hostility in
committee or when considering vicious
amendments. He often got away with
it before the voters because they had
no means of getting at his real record.
In the report we issued the records of
members are clearly set forth Fifteen
] thousand of these reports have been is