Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-11-08

production so that products To be sent
abroad may be stopped Foreign agen-
eies have been trying TO eorruptly
reach some of the organizations Of the
workers but they have not succeeded.
There is nothing touching the indus
trial and commercial life OF America
that Is not OF interest to the warning
nations. $
the holding of worlds labor con-
gress at the same time and place that
peace delegates meet when the war is
ended, Is recommended in the report as
necessary in order to ipfuse the spir-
it OF humanity and democracy into this
political conference" In order that the
position Of the United States working
men in this regard may be fully rep
resentatiVe Of the country,s unan-I
imous voice Of labor, the report rec
ommends that all international unions
be urged to gre the plan their sup
port
The report covers the recent inves-
LEGATION by labor leaders of the Dick
military law. In that connection, it
says.
p TO the present We have received
no complaint nor have we learned Of
any act in which the military arm OF
the government has misused the Dick
law to Offset or curb the aspirations Of
the working people Of the land
We refer particularly To the situation
in Colorado last year. g The cor
porations had practically coerced and
intimidated the officials Of the state
and had over-ridden the laws Of the
state. There is not nearly SO
grave a danger in the Dick law as
there is in the menace threatening our
/ institutions through the private detec~
tive agencies and the private army of
gun men"
Praises Industrial Committee.
Attention is also called In the report
to the work Of the United States com
mission on industrial relations. Chair
man Walsh and the labor represen-
tatiYes, Messrs. O'Connell, Lennon
end Garretson, are praised for their
/ Judgment and determination which
/ brought to light many wrongs sud in
| justices that might otherwise been
concealed or overlooked"
The commissions report Is strong
/ ly' endorsed by the executive council,
which recommends that the conven-
ton urge the next congress to make
the report and hearings Of the com
mission public documents.
Because the commission did not
follow conventional lines and so pre-
scented acts and materials that are
usually carefully suppressed and not
available TO the masses of the people"
the report continues, there was mi
tated against the commission a cam
paign for the purpose of discrediting
! in advance the final report. However,
the labor movement as well as all cit
liens who have sympathy and under
standing of the lives of the wage earn
ers united in determined effort 10 de-
feat this campaign and to make known
their approval Of the policy the com
mission followed"
@~pr0se Seamen's Bill.
In reviewing legislation by the last
congress. the report expresses the
executive councils approval Of the
seamen's bill. The law, it says, viii
afford large measure of safety pro-
visions for the general public who
travel the high seas and. the report
adds, we feel confident in asserting
that the passage of this legislation by
the 63rd congress, was one Of its dis
tincti0ns"
Statistical reports were read show
ing the average membership for the
American Federation of Labor for the
year was 1861, d decrease Of IA
324 members. the first decrease in to-
tai membership since 1908. While the
average membership for the year
shows a decrease Of 74,324, the Sep
TENDER membership is l,9941l1, a de
crease Of only 26,460 A steady
growth in membership is predicted to
follow the REIMBURSEMENT of conditions
affected by the European war. Expen-
ditures for the year 1915 were $685.
1856 and receipts s27t 1858 as com
pared with s265. 1921 and s263.16.9
in 1914.
To Continue Work.
New York, Nov S.-Frank ?, Walsh,
( former chairman Of the Federal Indus
trial Relations commission, met here
today with II associates active in in
dustrial reform projects, and organ
lied the Committee on Industrial Re
! lations. the object Of which, it was
stated. is to continue the work OF the
| federal commission and urge on con-
gress the recommendations contained
in the official reports of the federal
/ commission which were compiled by
| Mr.. Walsh and by Basil NJ. Manly,
| Besides Mr.. Wash, the membership
/ of the new committee comprises John