The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1914-01-23
BY n. L. Hughes.

RAYMOND, Wash, Jan. 19.-The
thirteenth annual convention of the
Washington State Federation of La
Dor convened here this morning with
25O delegates in attendance. The con-
vention was called to order by George
Burns, president of the Willipa Har-
Dor Trades Council, who welcomed the
delegates to Raymond Invocation by
Rev. Mr.. Weaver, of the Raymond NJ.
r. church. Mayor A. c. Little vel
coined the delegates warmly. and a
telegram was received from Governor
Lister conveying his greetings to the
convention and expressing regrets
that he could not be present in person.
Chairman Burns then introduced
President Marsh, who took charge of
the convention and responded on be-
half of the delegates to the words Of
welcome from the mayor and the
trades unionists of Raymond. During
the opening exercises music was fur
nished by an orchestra. Miss Moore.
accompanied by Miss Adams, sang.
Mrs. Florence Swanson, member of
the state welfare commission, deliver
ed an interesting address in which she
spoke very strongly in favor Of voca-
tional education as a powerful factor
in strengthening the position and
standing of the workers.
A. Wachtman, fraternal delegate
from the Canadian trades and labor
congress, told the delegates of the
great coal strike that they have been
carrying on on Vancouver island for
the past eighteen months and how
nearly 300 of their members had been
in an effort to break the
strike.
Mrs. A. ]. Love, fraternal delegate
from the Oregon State Federation of
Labor, was the next speaker and told
of the progress in the sister state and
conveyed their fraternaI greetings to
the brothers and sisters of Washing
ton.
J. J. Grant, of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers, was warmly
greeted as the first fraternal delegate
from that organization and his address
was greeted with applause. 1t marks
the beginning of a closer affiliation
and understanding between the rail
road organizations and the state fed
Grafton.
At the afternoon session President
E. P. Marsh delivered his annual re
port, in which he said in part:
Gould I, one year ago.
have had real conception of the
and scope of our trade
union movement in this state. of the
many phases of human activity which
bear directly upon the problems of
the workers. l should have hesitated
to put my small abilities against the
task. l have learned that there is
scarcely public question arising
winch does not in some way affect the
economic destiny of the working peo-
pie, and that our federation is forced
to deal with problems which, upon the
surface, appear to be outside its scope.
My experience of one short year in the
position in which you placed me, has
given me a new insight into the tre-
mendous possibilities within the la
Dor movement, heightened my respect
and appreciation for the arduous work
performed by others to place the la
Dor movement of this state in the posi-
tion of confidence and respect il now
holds in the minds of the thinking,
population of this state
Probably no man ever entered this
high position with more evidence of
good will and support from the rank
and file of labor
Industrial Welfare Commission.
"The Federation of Labor at its last
approved what was known
as the Piper Minimum Wage Bill
and your legislative representatives
worked increasingly and with final sue
cess for its passage The law provid
ed that the state labor commissioner
should be an eX-officiO member of the
commission and provided that the bal
ance of the personnel should be com
pletod by appointment by the cover
nor Three women We're appointed to
upon this commission,
one place stin being untitled by the
governor at the time of this report.
Your officers have assisted the mem
bers of this commission i'm every way
possible, urging employees throughout
the state to furnish necessary data to
the commission and explaining at ev-
cry opportunity the provisions and in
tent of the law The members of the
commission, serving without salary,
have devoted much time to the work
Necessarily the work was slow Ac-
curate data had TO be secured to place
in the hands of those boards which