Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-08-01
Secretary 1ronside of Vermont
Branch, A. F. of L., on Re-
publican State Platform.
EMBODIES NEEDS OF UNIONS
Inspection of Factories and Place,
Of Employment Emphatically
Approved-Party Is
Worthy of Support.

Barre July SO.-"The labor planks IN the
republican State platform are In the main
just what the union men Of vorro,, ,r.
'ooh'hg Tor. declared Secretary Alex
ander 1ronside of the Vermont sta-o
branch. American Federation of Labor.
at MS nome in this city to-day, for
they empody some of those things which
the unions have been working for dur
Ing many years past"
Il say this, not In endorsement ~ tho
Republican party by any means" Score
tary lronside made haste to add. but
simply as representative of labor unions
who have been striving for the better
ment Of our people"
These words OF Secretary Tronside ara
OF considerable significance. as he Is one
Iot the prominent labor union men Of
vermont. holding, in addition to the office
OF secretary Of the Vermont State branch
the position of State organizer of 11nions
IN behalf of the same organization and
!also is president of the Barre Centrai
Labor union.
of that plank which declares that State
inspection OF factories and places OF en-
ployment is needed. Secretary Ironsids
was emphatic In asserting that such In
spection is Imperative in Vermont I'VE
nave a child labor law" he said. but
II Is not enforced in the manner that It
should be- In fact. the law is practically
or no use. If We should have a State
inspection law, 1t would tend to enforce
THIS child labor law. The hardest part of
the enforcement OF the present law Is,
or course. the impossibility Of getting wit.
nesses. inasmuch as the workers are
reluctant to testify because of fear that
they will lose their Jobs.
WOULD BRING OWN WITNESSES.
State inspection would bring rts
own witnesses. and such inspection
would also see to 1t that proper sani-
tary arrangements were provided in
the factories. shops, stores and other
places OF employment. 1t would also
cause the adjustment of the common
drinking cup which carries disease.
Here in Barre the common drinking
cup has outlive1 its usefulness. as a
rule; but in other places. / understands,
the common cup is still used"
Union men believe there ought to be
one head State inspector. he to ap-
point his assistants Throughout the
State"
What do you think. Mr.. Ironside.
about the plank in the repu blican
platform which states that the Repub-
lican party favors fair and favor
able workingman's compensation law
at the earliest moment that the State
constitution If amended. as proposed,
will admit?" Secretary Ironsiie was
asked.
What do think about It? think
that such a law Is needed in Vermont
AMI that 1t would help the employer
as we'll as the employe. Moreover.
we have the assurance Of manufac-
turers and quarry owners in Barre
that they would be IN favor Of such a
law. My only regret Is that we shall
have to wait so long before the con-
stitution can he amended and the
measure become law. Something
along the lines of the Massachusetts,
AMI Illinois laws would be acceptable
to U.S."
LESS POSITIVE ON ARBITRATION.
AS to the plank expressing belief
in state board Of arbitration TO set
tie labor disagreements. Secretary
Ironside was less positive. but he
agreed that a voluntary arbitration
plan would be perfectly acceptable 10
the union men. Compulsory arbitra-
ton. labor men will never stand for"
he asserted with n smile. We are
not in favor of such proposition. but
that, as I understand it, was not COM
pretended In the plank by the repub-
lican convention"
Secretary Ironside expressed regret that
the $40 trustee process plank was in.
left out of the platform, but
he said he understood the plank had re-
Gently been Incorporated as II was found
the omission was due to stenographc
error. "A trustee process measure IS
which the union men Of Yer
mont have been working for for dozen
years. and We regretted to see that hy
some mistake the plank was at first LEFT
out of the republican platform. We are
not all republicans by any means but
we are glad to see any party taking up
these matters of legislation and we hope
that the dominant party will insist that
the planks be carried out
80, taking 1t altogether" Secretary
Tronside concluded. II think the republic
can platform has Incorporated some OF
the reforms which the union men Of
Vermont want, and personally am in
hearty favor of those labor planks as
tending TO better the conditions of the
workers in shops stores and factories"