The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1913-09-18
BY w. w. Hawkins.
written for the United Press)

ton of labor may this year take up the
promotion of program of federal leg
islation for the betterment of the con
dition of the workers. The Fresno
convention next month will be asked
to consider a series of the most i'm
portant labor bills and public owner.
ship measures now before congress
and to send to the California repre-
sentatives and senators, and to the
chairmen of committees in both houses
statement of reasons for or against
their progress.
This step will bring directly to the
attention of congress the view held by
the labor movement of the progressive
Pacific west as to what the workers
want today. 1t will re-enforce the IA
miliar appeals made by the national
and other long delayed bills, with a
more far reaching, newer and more ag-
gressive demand.
Now that California has sent John
Nolan, prominent in the state fedora
ton of labor to the house, it is pro-
posed by San Francisco unionists that
he be given the definite backing of
$4,000 trade unionists on the bills for
which he and other labor advocates
are making fight.
Convict Made Goods.
Hearings on the Booher convict-la-
mittee bring out the fact that while
this measure, offered by southern
democrat, would allow each state to
regulate the importation and sale with
in its borders of convict-made goods
it would in no wise affect the traffic in
those states whose legislatures do not
effectually regulate or prohibit the sale
of such goods.
Rep. John l. Nolans bill on the same
subject, which he hopes to get reported
from the interstate commerce commit
tee, absolutely prohibits the shipment
of any convict-made or convict-packed
commodities in interstate commence.
1t also prohibits any firm, such for eX-
ample as big mail order house sell
ing convict-made goods, from shipping
any goods of the same general des-
cription, except they be stamped OF
labelled mot made by convict labor
and this stamp to be secured upon Ill
ing of an affidavit that the goods were
free-made. The stamp is designed to
discourage the sale of the products
of convict labor even within the state
where produced.
A prominent fruit Gamer has mott
fed Nolan that the convicts in the
Michigan penitentiary at Jackson are
canning tomatoes, peas and beans
which are sold at cut rates.
Minnesota Man Twitted.
When Representative Sidney
Anderson of Minnesota resigned
his place on the powerful ways and
means committee, because he found
that the democratic caucus rule made
his presence on the committee fraud,
Rep. Kent of California, independent
declared himself disappointed N the
progressive republican member from
Minnesota.
IT sometimes think that have beer |
wrong in simply satisfying my con-
science and staying out of all organiza-
tions," remarked the unorgani2ed
Kent. "If everyone did as l have done,
business could not be efficiently con-
Quoted here. OF course the seniority
system is wrong, and Anderson is
right when he says that seniority has
given the democrats from the most
conservative section of the country
full control of legislation through con.
troll of the committee chairmanships
but you can't upset that all at once
A new system will have to be gradual
ly worked out"
Anderson, who succeeded Jim
Tawney of Winona, three years ago
uointed out in his resignation speech
that progressive bills could all be kill.
ed in committee by reactionary chair
men. He added that that is what only
happens to most of the humane legisla-
ton that is proposed.
Among those who endorse this sen
timent in Andrew Furuseth, secretary
81 the sailors union of the Pacific, who
has been trying this summer to get
action on his seamen's bill from the
enate commerce committee. The COM
nittee is made up almost wholly oil
nen from the conservative southern
tates, and are regular republicans.
rhe chairman is Senator Clarke OF
rkansas, who is called the most con-
ervative of the entire committee.
Watch Johnson.
Some of the wise political
weather. forecasters in Washington
ave been keeping their eyes on the
rot. IN, ouor |