The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1915-07-29
IMPORTANT DISCUSSION OF
PARTY AFFAIRS
BY JOHN M. POWERS

opinion as to amending Art. v. as pro-
posed by one motion, but it is a diff
ficult matter to understand why any
member can oppose the proposed
amendments to Art VIII.
Art. VIII as it is, entities every To-
cal to one or more delegates to the
state convention, the mileage of such
delegates to be paid from fund
known as the mileage fund, and a
recent amendment to the constitution
raised the per capita tax two cents in
order to pay the delegates $500 per
diem while attending the convention.
If the constitution is allowed to re-
main as it is there will be no less than
two hundred delegates entitled to at
tend the convention in Seattle next
March.
The per diem of these delegates
alone would amount to not less than
$1,000, figuring on three-day ses-
sion, and every additional day would
cost $500, provided there is a full at
tendance of delegates.
If we commence with the month of
June, 1915, and sell 5000 dues stamps
at tic, every month, including Febru-
airy, 1916, there would be $50 per
month for the per diem fund, or $3.50
for the entire period, about enough to
pay one days per diem.
According to the July Party Builder
there should be $57228 in the mileage
fund. Sec. 10, Art. XVII, provides that
one cent per month shall be set aside
from each stamp sold for this fund.
Now if we figure on the same basis
as / did for the per diem fund we
find that the fund will increase to
$997.2S by the first of next March, or
approximately $f,450 in both funds.
This would be little more than
enough to pay the per diem for three
days, let alone the mileage.
The state secretary's last report
shows that the total amount of cash
on hand July 1 was 1922, and that
all the convention money has been
used by the general fund, in other
words there is no convention fund,
and there is about enough money on
hand to pay the mileage of one dele
gate from Everett.
! Now the cost of sending a delegate
from each local would be enormous,
and in view of the fact that our state
treasury is empty it is senseless to
| try to do so, and plunge the party
further in debt in the spring of 1916,
just before we face q state and ma
| tional campaign.
! There would be, according to the
July Party Builder, approximately ITO
delegates, as Art VIII now stands rep
Iresenting 2,726 members, or about one
delegate for each 16 members. If Art.
VIII is amended the number of dele
gates would not be over co. or one for
each As members. The 60 delegates
would very probably be the best men
and women from their respective
counties, and being posted on the
issues confronting the convention, be
in a position to transact the conven-
tons business expeditiously, and in
telligently.
No matter how much you believe in
the present method of representation,
you are confronted with the financial
side of this question, and you must
admit that there is little likelihood of
raising sufficient funds to hold con-
vention made up of delegates from
each local.
The main object of this motion is
to make it possible to hold a conven-
ton without bankrupting the party,
and to save useless waste of funds
in the future. AS an example of how
the thing would work out, we will
take Stevens county: 1t reported in
the July Party Builder 10 locals in
good standing with SO members, at
present Stevens county is entitled to
10 delegates, if this motion carries it
would haze two delegates. Ferry
county has three locals with SO men,
bers, they are entitled to three dele
gates, under the proposed change they
would have one delegate
The national organization is in debt,
the state treasury is empty and from
every source comes continued howl
for more money. Let us stop spend
ing so much for conventions, speak
ers, etc, spend a little more for lit
erature and the support of the press,
and think we will get better results.
The money needlessly spent on con-
ventions would in few years buy
fully equipped printing plant, and if
the locals now paying $500 to hear
speakers of questionable ability and
imperfect knowledge of Socialism,
/ IL