Denver labor bulletin., 1917-01-13
Grant Hamilton Here to Work
With Joint Legislative Board
American Federation of Labor Representative Explains A
tude of General Mouement TouDard Colorado
Industrial Commission La,u


Joint Legislative Committee, Colorado
State Federation of Labor, and Railroad
Brotherhoods, held on Thursday even
ing, January 4, 1917.
Meeting called to order by President
McLennan, Colorado State Federation OF
Labor.
Those presents: McLennan, Ed. j.
Hines, S. ii. Baxter, j. II. Mitchell, Ray
Louderback, Ed Anderson, Colorado
State Federation of Labor; w. S. Thorn
ton, W. r. Welsh, P. j. Devault, C. c.
Houston. w. Z. Secord, Earl R Hoage,
Denver Trades Assembly; Margaret
Noonan, Miss Tierney, Alice Carey, Gar
ment Workers Union; Alice McCabe,
vice president of the State Federation
of Labor; John R. Lawson, of the Unit
ed Mine Workers; Charles Mahoney, of
the international Union of Mine, Mill
and Smelter Workers; H c. Williams,
B. S. Pepper and Judge Hynes, of the
Railroad Brotherhoods; G. j. Common,
of the Building Trades Council; Mr..
Gaffery, special legislative delegate from
Painters Union No. 70, and Grant Ham
ilton of the American Federation of
Labor
The minutes of the last meeting of
the committee were read and approved.
Moved by Delegate Lawson, and Sec
'onded by Hoage that a record of pro-
posed amendments to the coal mining
law be entered on our minutes, and that
same be given consideration by the COM
mittee as soon as same have been drawn.
The motion was carried.
Delegate Hamilton explained in re-
gard to the industrial commission law,
that he was here as special representa-
II.
Dor to endeavor to secure the repeal of
this law by the present legislature. Mr.
Hamilton stated that he felt that tn.
greatest danger to our success in secur
ing this repeal was the fact that there
was so much labor legislation requested
by various crafts that the repeal might
be lost sight of; that this repeal should
be made the paramount issue in our
legislative work during the present ses-
sion. He said that We would be greater
benefited if We secured this repeal and
lost all other labor legislation, than to
secure all other labor legislation, and
lose the repeal of the industrial com
mission law.
A letter was read from the railroad
brotherhood representatives in Washing
ton requesting their representatives to
work with Mr.. Hamilton, and give him
all the assistance possible in the work
for which he has been sent to Colorado
Delegate Devault suggested that if
We were not successful in securing the
repeal of the industrial law, could not
we attack it on its constitutionality;
that We should not neglect other labor
legislation; that he was greatly in favor
of the women's minimum wage law.
Delegate Hoage agreed with Represen-
tative Hamilton that the repeal of the
industrial law should be made the para.
mount issue and that we should go on
record for the repeal of this law if We
lost all other labor legislation.
Delegate Thornton asked Representa-.
tive Hamilton if the railroad brother
hoods representatives in Washington
were working together with the A. F.
of l.. representatives against any COM
pulsory arbitration law being enacted
by the present congress, and Mr.. Hamil.
ton answered they are.
1t was moved by Delegate Thornton
seconded by Secord, that we make the
repeal of the industrial commission law
the paramount issue of this legislative
session.
Judge Hynes spoke in favor, Secord in
favor, Houston in favor and stated tha,
we should outline program to carry the
matter out to successful conclusion.
Thornton in favor. Lawson spoke in
favor and said that we should accept no
compromise, that the only law needed
by the interests in connection with the
industrial commission law to give them
supreme control over the workers was a
state constabulary law, and that not
only must We give our Endorsement to
the repeal of this law as the paramount
issue, but that we must bring all the
force of organized labor in the state to
carry this matter to successful conclu-
sion. Coffey spoke in regard to tn.
proposed bill to be introduced providing
for the licensing of painter, paperhanper
and decorator contractors. and that the
organized painters of the state would
fight this to the end to secure its defeat
Delegate Mahoney: "This Colorado
industrial law is worse, and has more
serious effect in labor than the famous
industrial dispute law of Canada, which
law always worked against the working
people of that country, tho that law
only applied to public utilities and mine,
until the war when it was made TO
apply to factories where munitions were