The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1914-02-27
UNION LABOR
FOR WALLACE
OPPONENTS OF LAW WOULD
LIKE TO GET" LABOR IS
REPRESENTATIVE-HE HAS
CONFIDENCE OF LABOR.

pia date line of January 81, 1914;
Olympia, Wash, Jan. 31-(SpeciaD
Reported attacks on the other men,
bers of the industrial insurance COM
mission by ]. H. Wallace, labor mem
Der of that body and the only member
who is a holdoyer from the Hay ad-
ministration, may cause Wallace's
early retirement, it is believed here
According to reports from other
sources, Commissioner Wallace is
noruishing a desire to be governor
and planning to become the labor
candidate" in 1916. At the recent Ray
mond convention of the State Fedora
tion of Labor, Mr.. Wallace was her
aided as a possible candidate for rep
resentative in congress from the Third
district That he might choose this as
a stepping stone to the governors |
chair is not considered unlikely.
"Mr. Wallace is reported as critciz-
ing the majority members of the com
mission at the recent convention att
Raymond, stating their actions have
resulted in "emasculating the law
THAT friction has existed on the
commission has been known for some
time. 1t resulted, about two months
ago, in the entire executive committee
of the State Federation of Labor COM
ing to Olympia, at Wallace's request,
according to report, to plead with Gov
ernor Lister to keep Wallace on the
commission
The Wallace matter has been made
the subject of special report issued
recently by the Federation of Labor.
"It was evident very early in the
year this report states, in part, that
changes would be made in the person
mel of the commission because of the |
partisan change in administration
With no desire to dictate to Governor
Lister in any particular as to his ap-
pointing power, organized labor of the
state did feel it duty to lay before
Governor Lister it's wish that Mr.. Wal .
lace be retained
"'That there was lack of harmony
on the commission was only too ap-
parent. If the fault lay with the labor
representatives we wanted to know it,
The report continues with an ac-
count of the meeting, stating it was en-
tirely amicable, and the ground taken
by the various speakers, and closes
with a warm commendation of all Mr.
Wallace's acts.
According to an unofficial account
of the conference, however, one of the
labor men stated organized labor had
right to demand that NTr Wallace be
retained, to which Governor Lister re-
Piled with some force, that he con
ceded the right of no organization to
demand that he keep any particular
person in his administration. After
this exchange the conference broke up.
'In spite of this, however, no move
was made to eject Mr. Wallace, but
the latter's statements at the Raymond
convention, according to report, have
reached the ears of the governor, and
probably will lead to renewed consid-
GRAFTON of the case
An article somewhat similar in
character but written in more facetious
vein appeared some time ago in the
Spokane Spokesman-Review. Both of
them are all too apparently of an Gin
spired" nature and the inspiration can
come from no other source than a pO-
litical one that seeks Mr.. Wallace's re
moval Each article bore a basis of
truth but reading between the lines
one gets the impression meant to be
conveyed, viz: that Wallace was the
disturbing element upon the commits
sion The article states that the eX-
ecutive board Of the State Federation
of Labor visited Governor Lister at
"Mr. Wallace's request to plead with
the governor against his removal"
This statement is wholly untrue At
no time did Mr. Wallace ever ask any
member of the board to visit either
the commission or the governor in his
behalf I had been convinced that the
commission was doing an injustice
(probably unwittingly) to injured
workmen in its working out of some
of the laws provisions, It was entire
ly of my own volition that I laid the
matter before nay associates on the
executive board and it was at their
decision that we took up personally
with the commission and later with
the governor the grievances we held.
Mr. Wallace did not agree with his
(Continned on Page TwoD