davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25

propositions in addition to constitu-
tional amendments. -
This bill is commonly known as
the Initiative and Referendum Bill"
If a majority of all the people voting
a. the election vote in favor of this
bill it will become law and a part
Of the constitution of Minnesota.
When the Initiative and Referendum
become part of the basic law of this
state, then the power of government
will be fully restored to the people,
and we shall truly have a govern
nlent of the people. e.
1t Takes q Majority Over All.
Unless majority of all the cleo
tors voting at the election vote in
favor of the Initiative and Referen-
DUN bill it will not become law.
That is to say, If there are 35o,oo0
votes cast at the next general cleo
'tion, ais there were in. 1912, unless
more than 175,ooo electors vote in
favor Of the Initiative and. Referen-
dunn bill it will fail of passage.
And this is where the danger rests,
At the#last election more, than. 1oo.-
600 electors who voted for state Of
ftcers failed to vote for a single con
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25
RAILROADS To CUT
TIME Of SHOPME|V
Great Northern Orders RE
trenchment" at supar:iior-Aims
to Force Reduced Rates.

The railroads threaten to make no
further Improvements Or extensions
unless the Interstate Commerce COM
mission authorizes them to increase
freight rates. Their case is now be-
ing considered by the commission. Be-
cause of the attitude of the railroads
thousands Of workingmen usually en-
ployed at construction work are idle.
The retrenchment on railroads al
ways strike workingmen first; the
stockholders rarely suffer. SO soon
as they find their dividends falling
off they see to 1t that wages are re-
duced or the working force is cut
down. In cases where railroad en-
ployes are unorganized wages are cut
down, and when they are organized
the force or the working time is re-
duced.
In Superior at the Great Northern
shops, the men are organized; there
Will be no attempt to reduce wages,
but zoo men employed in the mach
inc. boiler and blacksmith shops, are
to have their hours of labor reduced
from nine to eight and from six days
week to five days.
The machinlsts and boilermakers
get AZ and 43 cents an hour. The re-
duction in hours makes a cut Of from,
$40 to $25 month in the pay of the
mechanics and reduces the shop pay
roll by $1,000 a. month
An hour for punching the clock
during the week is allowed on Frida,
afternoons which will set the ouittins
time back to o'clock and it is ikea;
that many of the men will not return
to work on Friday afternoons just fol
two hours work. This will mean an
other two hours off or four and a hall
days week work for some of the
mon.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25
TO BACK MOVEMENT
. 0RC|:T|.'Y HOSPITAL

Organized labor in Dufuth will get
behind the movement for city and
county hospital. The next legisla-
ture will be urged to pass an enab-
Ing act permitting the city and
county to act together, in building and
maintaining hospital.
1t is stated that there, are only 800
beds in local hospitals; that prices
are unusually high and beyond the
reach of the average workingman.
There is every reason why the city
and county should build and maintain
a hospital that will be operated free
from charity. and to which poor peo-
rle may go without feeling that they
ere recipients of aims. .- :.
Other cities and counties have
worked jointly on hospitals, and the
rates charged for rooms there are
within reach of the average working
n,an and his family Duluth labor
organizations believe. the time is ripe
fer st. Louis county. and the city OF
Duluth to get busy on the project.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25
GET TOGETHER IS
SLOGAN OF BUREAU B
Woman's Branch Of Department
Of Labor Holds Second Meet
" ing for Working Girls. -.

y The second of a series Of meetings
for working girls conducted under
the auspices of the bureau Of women
and children in the department OF
labor was held at the, court house
Monday evening. Miss Agnes Peter
son of st. Paul, head of the bureau
vas present and delivered an inter
esting speech in which she explained
the state laws protecting working
women and minors.
: The meeting, was attended .by
nearly zoo working girls. Miss Peter.
son was assisted by Miss Victoria
Ericsson, local factory inspector. Fol
lowing the talks on state laws the
girls were asked to give their ideas
on employment conditions, their pre-.
ference for stipulated wage scales o,
piece work, dull season problems and
kindred topics. =
Legislation pertaining to sanitation
child labor, hours of labor and tho
rights of workers, was briefly ex.
planned. Miss Peterson will have 8
n,eeti1} ~ Of working girls in st. Pau
Oil SUO(ay next She will continue
the Duluth meetings next fall.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25

IN motion and have their wants car
ried out.
The time for educational work is
now. There isn't moment to be
lost Every voting precinct in; Min
nesota should be reached between
now and the November election. The
ordinary disinterested voters must be
aroused; the ignorant must be en-.
lightened, sand the knowing must be
aroused from their slumbers.
A Big Job to Do. b
A number Of patriotic citizens are
already at work In Duluth. They will
address public meetings. at social CEN
ters, improvement societies and COM
mercial clubs, and no doubt much.
good will come from such meetings.
Iut this is a large state, and there
are 350,000 voters to reach. which
fact ought to convince every true
friend OF the Initiative and Refer
endum that we have big job on
our hands; thatsa statewide organi-5
zation Is necessary. and that duty
calls every foreward- looking man IN
the state into action.
The Labor World proposes to take
up the other proposed amendments
to the constitution In IKE manner In
subsequent issues. ssss
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25

the so-called good roads amend
ment," which had mighty close call,
in spite of the ract that it was d
popular measure. Very nearly 125,-
600 electors who voted for state Of
ficers did not cast vote on this
p1 opOsition. It received 225,742
votes, 1852 of which were in favor
Of the proposition, and 41,13O were
AGAINST it. It actually carried and
became law by a majority of only
9.772 votes, and yet there were 49,
4s2 more votes cast in it's favor than
were against it. 5 r. a-s..
Five Of Them We're Lost.
All the other propositions, five in
number, failed Of passage at the last
election, although each of them had
more votes cast in its favor than
we're cast against 1t. One Of the
propositions failed of passage by g.
400 votes In the face of the fact that
10000 more people voted in favor
of the proposed amendment than
voted against IT.
According to our, state constitution,
the vote Of the Indifferent or ignor-
ant non-voter counts against a pro-
POSED amendment as effectually as ii
that vote were actually cast against
y. And this u whore. as No have
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25

said, the danger to the proposition
providing for, the Initiative and
Referendum rests =.
At the very outset it is necessary
to reach at least 100000 voters in
Minnesota who do not vote on con-
stitutional amendments, and explain
to them what the Initiative and
Referendum bill means, and what its
passage will do for them. It will be
necessary sto tell them that If this
proposition becomes part of the basic
law of this state. 1t will lodge the
rower OF government in the hands
Of the people, there ever after to re-
main tgg+' ss, t5:
/ Interests Against 1t.
Divers interests will be found
qquietly, opposing the Initiative and
Referendum, not that they do not be-
lieve in it, but because they fear the
power of the people. The Initiative
provision of the proposed amend
tnlent permits a certain number Of
electors to appeal to the legislature
for the passage Of any bill they may
be interested in. If the legislature
should refuse to 3 pass the bill the
petitioners may appeal to the people.
and 1T must be submitted to them
FOR their vote thereon. 1f more votes
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25
SEEKS / ] sEPARQQNFOR | ! / ]
49, tyss = 49,
:: BEuM. l|VDM|O0|VEY ID
President Hall of State Fedora
. tion of Labor in Duluth Look
ing Up Evidence.

E. G. Hall, president of the Min
nesota State Federation Of Labor, ar
rived in Duluth from ! Minneapolis
yesterday. Mr. Hall is here in the in
terest Of pardons for Charles Beum
of Minneapolis and Fred Mooney of
Duluth, the Minnesota iron workers
who were convicted in the dynamite
conspiracy case in Indianapolis.
Mr.. Hall returned from Washing
ton Tuesday, where he spent more
than a week in behalf of the Mime
sofa men, He had a conference with
representatives of, the department of
Justice last week at which he pre-
sented the appeals of the two men.
Mr.. Hall was accompanied to the de-
partment. of justice by Congressman
Hammond of Minnesota.
Mr.. Hall states that every person
in Washington who has examined
the evidence in the cases of Beum
and Mooney manifests surprises that
they were convicted. They can not
understand how any man could have
been found guilty of committing a
crime when there is no evidence to
show that they had anything to do
with the Mcnamara conspiracy.
Mr.. Hall. will return to Minneapolis
tonight. While here he. met with the
convention committee arranging for
the meeting Of the State Federation
of Labor to be held in this city in
July.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25

are cast in its favor than are cast
against the bill it becomes law in
spite Of the legislature. That puts
the people above the legislature as
lawmakers.
The referendum provision Of the
proposed amendment permits GER
tain number of electors to protest
against the action of the legislature
on any bill. If sufficient number
OF electors petition, the. governor,
within 90 days after the passage by
the Legislature of any bill, to refer
it to the people it must be submitted,
aid the people will have the power
over the governor and the legisla-
ture to say whether or. not the bill
should. become law. This is the. peo-
PIES veto.
y May Not Be Often Used. !.
Now these provisions Of the pro-
posed amendment may seldom be
used They do not destroy repre-
sentative government: = they merely
throw u safeguards about ii, and II
the representatives <of the people fail
to properly carry out the will OF the
people. and thus thwart. represent.
atiye government, the people them-
selves, through the Initiative Of
RefeEendun ma let the nh chinery
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25
BY ". T.. McEWEN

Every voter in Minnesota can be a
lawmaker next November. Instead Of
sending members of the legislature
to st. Paul to make certain laws for
, him, he will be privileged to make
his own laws. He will not be called
upon to delegate his authority to
legislators, for he will vote directly
on eleven important bills.
These bills are propositions to
amendment the, constitution, the
basic law of Minnesota. The consti-
tuition can only be amended by vote
Of the people. That is the refer
endum. We haven't the referendum
in all things but only on PROPOSE
tions to amend the constitution.
The First Bill on the Ballot.
The first bill on the little ballot
upon which there will be eleven bills
will be one to amend the constitu-
ton to extend the authority and DOW
er of the people to enable them, II
, they may choose. to vote ION other
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25
"A LIVING WAGE
MINIMUM WAGE FOR
DULUTH SHOP GIRLS
Advisory Commissions Now at
Work Ascertaining Living
for Working Girls.
WORK TO GIVE WOMEN
WORKERS SQUARE DEAL
T. <oloyers, Employees and Public
>r,eN Represented Committees
inted for Field Work.

The /Tsory minimum wage COM
mission for mercantile establishments
in Duluth has been fully organized,
ard at meeting to be held this
morning at the Commercial club the
committees on lodging, clothing and
n eals, miscellaneous expenses and ap-
prentices and education will report
the scope Of their work.
Each committee will make it's in
vestigation independently. and en-
rloyers and employees will be asked
to furnish the commission with
statements of salaries paid and re-
Ceived, and what each employe
srends for living expenses. The min.
imum wage rate will probably be
based on the cost of living to thu
girl who is obliged to board herself
The mercantile advisory commits.
sion consists of the following repre-.
sentatives OF mercantile establish
, ments: B. P. Neff of the Panton 8
White company; ]. J. Moe, George A
Gray, B. Stlberstein, I. Freimuth, Nj
Slack and George Peterson.
The following represent the EN-.
rloyes: Misses Mollie Parsons, Mar,
Cheska, Nora Ryan, Pearl Hunt
Elizabeth Duffy, Mrs. A. Stensby
Victoria Ericsson and Mrs. A. 4. Kerr
The public is represented by w. E
McEwen, w. J. McCabe, Mrs. S. S
Sanford, w. G. Mitchell, Mrs. F. c
Bowman and Mrs. T. J.. Davis. Mr.
W. j. McCabe has been elected chair
| man of the commission.
Mrs. W. w. Sanford heads the com
mittee on cost of room, board am
| clothing. Mr.. w. G.. Mitchell is chair
man of the committee on cost of mis-
cellaneous items and w. e. McEwe,
is chairman of the committee on an
premiership and education
The advisory com mission on fact
ories@, and Wholesale establishment
has not been fully organized. Their
is some talk of combining both com
missions. Miss Eliza Evans of Min
neapolis. secretary of the Minnesot
Minimum Wage commission, is sec
rotary of the advisory commission
IN Duluth. Special investigators vii
assist the commissions in ascertain
ing the cost of living here.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25

stltutional amendment. and seven
propositions were submitted at that
election.
Take such an important amend
roent as the proposition to increase
the. gross earnings tax of railroad
companies. OF the 35o,000 votes cast
at the election, only 246,s5s voters
availed themselves Of the opportun-
ity to vote on this proposition. More
than 100000 electors did not take
sufficient interest in the gross earn
ings tax amendment to vote on it,
and yet every, one of those 1o3, 900
votes was counted as a vote against
the amendment. OF those who voted
on the proposition 195,724 were In
favor Of amending the constitution
to increase the gross earnings tax
on railroads, and 51,135 openly voted
against it. - IT,,
What Chances It Runs.
Fortunately the amendment carried
because more than one-half Of the
people voting at the election" voted
in its favor, but at that it only passed
by a margin Of 2o,ss5 votes, although
144,589 more votes were cast in its
favor than were cast against it.
The next amendment approved by
the people, ct the last election was
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25
INDIANA COURT FOR
COMPENSATION ACT

INDIANAPOLIS, April 24.-The
state supreme court has held consti-
tutional the employers liability act of
1911. which applies only to EMPLOYERS
or five or more persons
The court said that while the limit
OF five employees is an arbitrary one.
chosen by the legislature, it is not for
the courts to say whether or not it is
the best
The law abrogates the fellow serv-
ant rule and restricts liability of cases
CT negligence, placing. however, the
burden Of proof of lack of due care
and diligence, and of negligence, on
the employer, and it eliminates the
assumption of risk from negligence or
f1om contributory negligence, where
there is a violation of an ordinance or
statute, or of any rule or regulation
or direction made by any public COM
mission, or where the risk results
from obedience or conformity to any
order or direction which the employe
is required to obey or to which he is
required to conform.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25
DULUTH AND SUPERIOR, APRIL 25, 1914.
GREAT NORTHERN BACK TO OLD TRICKS
CHARGE CREEK LABORERS $O0 FOR $50
JOBS OLD EMPLOYEES MUST PAY OR QUIT

tempt was made, as had formerly
been done, to fleece Greek and Ital-
ien workmen employed by the Great
Northern. r. ~ - -. :
But evidently the Hills are tired
of hiring their common railroad
laboreEs direct. In an attempt to
frighten President Wilson the rail-
roads are doing precious little con-
struction work; shopmen are being
laid off, and thousands of migratory
laborers are in n3search of employment.
They are begging for. jobs, and the
more ignorant*and submissive ones
are willing to. pay any price for them.
The officials Eef the Great Northern
could not permit the opportunity to
go by: They have returned to their
old extortion tricks. This letter tells
the tale: :
Is Species Of Graft.
Dear Sir:-Are you Commissioner
of Labor. yet? If not can you tell me
where I o. can make complaint: The
Great Northern Railway has return
ed to it's old practice of extortion. II
has contract with an employment
cIScIlI dL 81. LOUIS anu Sl du1, dIU
poor Greeks are being sent here who
pay as high as $9.75 for their jobs
They are getting only $3.50 day
"As soon as the new men arrive
here the Great Northern ordered the
foreman to fire all their old laborers
| some of whom have been wokins
kere for four or five years for the
company. Every man was told thai
he must pay an employment fee thi:
year.
| This means that no matter how
long these poor men have been work
ing for the company they must pa,
$500 employment fee. They dom
care what the hundreds Of laborer!
should do after loosing their job
here. =
after, the foreman had told tn.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25
MORE JUSTICE
PLANS CHANGES 4 IN
PENsAT|ON \ ! ACT.
Department of Labor Calls Con-
ferences of Insurance Agents,
j.. Employers and Employees.
AIM TO MAKE PERFECT =
M1NNEsoTA's NEW LAW
Meetinps t0f he tHe1d on Different
Meetings to be Held on Different
Dates-Labor Bureau Officials
j. to Suggest Revision.

w. F.. +Houk, commissioner Of labor,
announces this week, that series of
conferences will be held beginning
next week, with representatives of in
snrance companies, employers and
employees for the purpose of discuss
ing proposed changes In the working
mems compensation law.
According to the law the labor
commissioner shall observe in detail
the operation of the act throughout
the state and shall make report
thereof to each session of. the legis-
lature, together with such suggestions
ard Recommendations as to changes
as he may deem necessary or advis-
able for the Improvement thereof"
The officials of the. department OF
labor desire to avail themselves of
the experience Of insurance COM
panies, employers and employees OPP
Grating under the. act, and for this
reason it is announced a series of con-
ferences will he held with the several
interests involved:
The. first conference will, be with
p1cScALdIlVSS VI tHc lISu1 dASc So4AA-
rsnies. 1t will be. held in the offices
Of the department of labor at the
Old Capitol, St. Paul, Tuesday, April
cS, at which time. the insurance fea-
lures of the law will be discussed.
The next conference will be with
the en- ployersr at the; same place on
May, 5. The conference with en-
l1oyers will be the last one, and il
will take place on or about May IL
at a. time to be arranged to suit the
convenience Of the employers. -
Mr.. Hopk states that every person
interested in the revision and i'm
rrovement~ of the LAWS invited t
be tpEesent The In lettings will con,
'sist, OF an, informal discussion Of thu
| various features Of the act Any, one
present will, be privileged: to :, bring
| up any point that. he desires, while
the department of labor will sugges
various points that have been brough
up by it's experience. -
1T is believed the conferences will
! result in bringing all interests to
eether in recommending improve
raents in the law g.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25
RAILWAY MEN VOTE
TO 00UST PLUMBERS
Machinists Claim Pipe Fitting in
Railway Cars - Arbitrarily
Take Plumbers Trade.

= : Press eports received in Duluth
this week conveyed the. Information
that the railway department of the
American Federation of Labor, in
session at Kansas City. by majority
Of one vote unseated. the United AS
sociation Of JouFneymen Plumbers,
Gas and Steam. Filters of the U. S.,
and Canada.
Thos. Van lie ar of Minneapolis:
well-knovn in Duluth, led the fight
against the plumbers. He declared
the united association had claimed
jurisdiction over work that had been
machinist's work for so years.
The plumbers and steamfitters, on
the other hand, declared that the
pipe fitting of railway cars was dis
tinctly their trade. The installation
of steam and hot water plants and
coils, and the fitting out of wash
rooms in coaches are no different
than what plumbers and steamfitters
are doing in private houses. The
machinists, they hold, are arbitrarily
taking to themselves work to which
they are not entitled.
The vote on the proposition was a
tie; the debate lasted one day and
President 4. O. Wharton of st. Louis
cast the deciding vote against the
plumbers and steamfitters. The
plumbers will appeal to the A. F. of
L. 1t is the beginning of a hot juris-
diction fight between the se-called
ir dustria lists and the distinct ira de
unionists.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-04-25
PEOPLES RULE
ORGANIZE. R. I TO [ PUSH
STATE { AMENDMENTS
'' ---- ------- s'~-- @s
Popular Rule Committee to Con
duct Educational Campaign
+. Among Voters.
DIRECT LEGISLATION
AND RECALL SUPREME
, .- - ---------
Other Constitutional Amendments
to Be Discussed-Many Good
Men Offer to Speak.

Following the request of the state
federation of labor that public spirit
ed citizens in every community in the
state get together and organize for
the initiative and referendum cam
raign next fall, meeting was held
H. The Labor World office and a
committee consisting of w. E. Nc
Even. Edward Armstrong and G. w
G. Ross was appointed to arrange Tor
public meetings at which the sew
veral constitutional amendments to be
V >,ted on at the November election will
be discussed. b. -
Arrangements have been made
with Miss Margaret Culkin to hold
meetings in several Of the school
buildings during the month Of May.
Miss Culkin, in her social work, is
enthusiastic about the plans of the
Popular Rule Committee and she will
cooperate with the members.
Senator Boyle to Help.
The following citizens will be call
ed upon to make speeches during the
campaign: Elmer Blu, DR.. D. H. Day,
Frank Crassweller, Watson S. Moore.
4: T. Hudson, G. W. c. Ross, W.E
McEwen, Edward Armstrong, A. G..
Mcknight, Richard Funk, W. L.
snithies, Frank T. McNally. John
Jenswold, Jr.,- c. Magney, E. J. Kenny,
Richard Jones, Rev. Ray Hunt and
Senator James Boyle. This list is in
complete. Many others will be pressed
into service as the campaign pro-
crosses. =;
Eleven propositions are to be voted
en- at the coming election. They are
| known as follows: The initiative and