St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-08-13
Vermont Branch A. F. of |. Convene
Delegates from All Vermont Labor Organ
izations i'm Session Here-Mass Meet
ing at The Colonial Last Evening
Banquet with Gov. Fletcher One
Of the Speakers this Evening.

were never meant to be fulfilled
With such a force as the Vermont
State Branch of the American Fed
Grafton to lead in opposition to this
political trickstry, as well as push
/ forward all beneficient legislation
public sentiment can be so aroused
as to force punishment of the party
! that fails or refuses to comply with
its expressed pledges.
He expressed high appreciation of
the work done by the representatives
of organized labor in the last legis-
lature and urged a great increase in
! their number in the next legislature.
He reviewed the state and national
legislation that has been accomp-
lished and noted that Senators Page
and Dillingham; voted against the bill
that exempts trade unions and farm
ers unions from prosecution under
the Sherman law.
Recommendations
Sec. ITonsides recommended that
a vice president be elected in every
district where there is a central lab
or union or trades and labor council.
That the legislative committee be
instructed to frame a measure call
ing for the establishment of a mini
mum wage board, to consider con-
ditions of those workers in unskilled
or ''swea5ed" trades and whose wages
are below the living line; also a bill
establishing a mothers pension fund.
That James Cruickshank, chair
man of the legislative committee,
should be presented with some suit
able honorarium for his able ser
vices, and that the thanks of the or
nj ho .axrAnndn1
and other members of the legislature
who worked for their interests.
Other Reports
First Vice President Connor said
that in Montpelier things were pret-
ty well organized. The merchants
there were giving the clerks, the
only unorganiZed employees, better
conditions than the union demanded
and there is one machine shop that
will not allow organization. Other
wise things are well organized.
Second Vice President Fitzgerald
reported the complete unionizing
of the paper mill workers in Bellows
Falls and said he was working in a
machine shop employing about 900
men and he should try to get them
to organize.
Fourth Vice President O'Neil re-
ported conditions unfavorable in
Rutland and said they needed the
help of the state organization if they
were to make any headway there.
State Organizer Suitor said he
did but little work organizing the
past year, the only organization he
had made being that of the carpen-
ters at East Barre where they now
had every carpenter in the union.
The secretary report
showed receipts for the year of
s12O2.58, expenses of$866.16 ard
$336.42 cash on hand.
Secretary Ironside read greetings
from various men and organizations
and c. E. Cummings announced the |
plans for the banquet and parade !
and adjournment was taken until !
Afternoon Session
At the opening of the afternoon !
session President Beal announced |
he following committees: Auditing |
and Credential committee, A. L.
Huffmire, George c. Stewart and |
John Mcdonald; committee on |
presidents and secretary's reports, !
Fred w. Suitor, John O'Malley, |
Walter Snow; organizing commit
ee, John A. Mcdonald, J. F. Fuy-
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