Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-06-14
SoCIAIlSTlc EFFORT TO ELlMl.
NATE CERTAIN CLASSES OF
DELEGATES FAILS.
CONVENTION REFUSES
TO APPEAsE CARPENTERS
Warm Debates on Proposed Amend
nents Stir Morning Convention Ses-
sion-Des Moines, Dubuque and Iowa
City Candidates For 1917 Convention
City-Primary Is Held.

The convention of the Iowa State
Federation of Labor started this FORE
noon to select the 1917 convention city
by the primary election method, but
tive body in disposing of efforts to
Iamend the constitution. Dubuque, Des
Moines. and Iowa City were the candi-
dates for the 1917 convention. At the
primary two, undoubtedly Dubuque and
DeS Moines. will be selected, and it was
the opinion in the convention that prob
ably Dubuque would be chosen at the
election Thursday. The federation does
not elect officers this year.
A socialistic element and representa-
tives of the carpenters union, by their
attempts to amend the constitution,
furnished material for more than an
hours lively debate. On all tests the
convention, by nearly unanimous vote,
defeated these attempts.
Employers Not Barred.
In the liveliest of these tits, which
in a sense became very personal. the
convention refused to bar employers
of public offices, from being eligible to
a seat in the convention.
BY an equally emphatic majority the
convention refused to allow locals to
belong to trades and labor assemblies
without first being affiliated with their
trades council. This effort to free To-
Gals from utilization of their trades
council was an attempt of the carpen-
tiers. led by the Sioux City delegation.
to shake themselves free from the ne
cessity of holding membership in their
local building trades council. The car
penters' locals were made the targets
OF some hot shots in the debate.
The convention refused to adopt the
recommen dation of the executive board,
backed by the concurrence of the laws
and constitution committee. pat the
president Of the federation be its dele
gate to all superior conventions.
All of these questions arose out of
the report Of the committee on laws
and constitution. of which A. K. Fink,
of Cedar Rapids, was chairman.
Debate On Eligibility Warm.
S. Sorenson and Charles Huney. car
penter delegates from Sioux City, were
sponsors of the proposed amendment
to deny a seat in the convention to any
employer. life member OR honorary
member of local and to holders Of any
! county, city, state or federal office.
The laws and constitution committee
unanimously reported that it did not
/ concur in the amendment. Sorensor
and Huney led the debate for their
amendment with the argument that
no h,r
what the federation should represent
was true democracy" and be rep
resentative body" of union laboring
men only.
! The committee was asked for an ex-
! PLANTATION of the reasons of it's non
concurrence.
! If this amendment was adopted" re.
piled Chairman Fink, the cigarmakers
would be unable to send to this conTen.
| ton A. L. Urick, commissioner of la
Dor, and past president of this fedora
/ ton. and the mine workers could no
send Senator James c. GARRISON, two
of our ablest men. There are other rea
sons but those alone are sufficient"
Michelstetter to Defense.
| H. Michelstetter, delegate from tn,
! Sioux City Typographical Union. lif'
member of the Sioux City Trades anc
Labor Assembly, and an employer. ros'
to his own defense and to defeat thu
amendment. After recounting his fort.
years of unionism/ and his services TO
the Sioux City central body. for which
! he had been given life membership IL
it, he inquired of the convention:
| is this superior court of labor nov
! going TO take from me IN nv old ae
what i have earned? Is It going Z
| throw me out?''
The applause that answered the per