The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-04-28

the executive council Of the Mime
sofa Federation of Labor held it's reg
uiar quarterly meeting at Federation
hall, 43 South Fourth street, Mime
apolls, and transacted a considerable
amount of business of importance to
the working people of the state and
especially to those who are members
of labor unions.
Vice President Curran Obligated.
The meeting was called to order
promptly at 10 o'clock in the morn
ing by President Hall, and the roll
call showed that every member of
the council was present P. J. Cur
ran, member of the Typographical
union at Hibbing, was obligated as
the new vice president for the Iron
Range territory in the Eighth con-
gressional district, succeeding E. P.
Sphinx, who resigned because of his
removal from the district
Presidents Report Is Brief.
Officers reports being the next
business in order, President Hall
called Vice President Nolan, Mime
apolis, to the chair and proceeded to
read his report for the quarter. Ow-
ing to the continual and exacting de-
mands on his time and energies dur
ing the session of the legislature Mr..
Hall was not able to give an extended
review of the work he had done dur
ing the quarter. He showed. how
ever. that he had devoted himself
to the interests Of the labora move
ment with sleepless vigilance and tire
less industry, not only looking after
legislation for the benefit of the
state, but also visiting several local.
tiles to aid in organization work.
Speaking Of labor legislation, Mr.
Hall stated that up to the time of the
meeting not one bill in the interest
of the working people had been
passed by both houses, and there was
little prospect that any would be, al
though the anti-injunction bill and
two amendments to the workmen's
compensation act might get through
and be approved by the governor.
One of the amendments to the COM
pensation law would cut the waiting
period for compensation after injury
to one week instead Of two, and the
other would raise the maximum al
lowance for an injury from so to go
per cent of the injured workers pay
y.
insurance bill was beaten in the SEN
ate, and all other labor measures
were neglected, sidetracked or de-
feated. President Hall was, however,
gratified to be able to report that
vicious compulsory arbitration bill,
two bad ones providing for giving
the sheriffs of counties greatly eX-
tended and almost arbitrary powers,
nd o,,%i 10, ill.,
and antipicketing bill introduced by
Senator Duxbury of Houston county,
had been killed by the aid of the in
f1uence of the railroad brotherhoods
and the farmers organizations in con-
nection with the work Of labor's legis-
lative agents, and thereby a great
deal of good had been done for all
three classes of workers connected
with these different organizations.
Realizing the pressing need of
closer cooperation and a better un-
Outstanding between the labor forces
and the railroad brotherhoods, the
Farmers union and the Non-Parti-
san league, President Hall recon-
mended that the three last named be
invited to send fraternal delegates to
the Faribault convention Of the State
Federation of Labor to be held in
July
The presidents report was ac-
cepted and ordered placed on record,
and the recommendation contained in
it was concurred in.
Vice Presidents for Duluth Report.
Henry Pereault and William Muir
MAN, Duluth, vice president for the
lower part of the Eighth congress
sional district, united in oral reports
for that section, the substance of
which was that the recent wet and
dry fight in their city had absorbed
the greater part of their time and at
tention for number of weeks. but
that they had visited most of the
unions in behalf of the legislation de-
sired by the workers, and had also
tried to adjust the difficulty between
the unions and the Zinsmaster-Sm Smith
Baking company; that, although the
state Of most of the Duluth unions
was flourishing one, the Drug
Clerks union had been forced to sus-
pend operations and the teamsters
were in need of help to build them
up. The two vice presidents recon-
mended that the council request the
international Brotherhood Of Team
sters to send an organizer into the
territory to save this union and build
up it's strength. They also reported
that the Cabinet Makers union had
decided to ask for a wage increase to
begin May /.
Progress in Iron Range Territory.
p. J. Curran, Hibbing, the new
vice president for the Iron Range ter
ritory, reported orally that the unions
in Hibbing were all making steady
progress; that >the carpenters and
painters had just obtained an agree
ment carrying an increase Of so cents
day for nine hours work; that the
clerks were working for an earlier
closing of the stores; that the stage
employees were advancing, those in two
or three cities being in one central
union: that under the influence of
public sentiment which had been
greatly aroused by the serious burn
ing of a boy operator in a moving
picture theater the moving picture
houses had all but one signed agree
ments with the uniof1 Of moving
picture operators; that the electrical
workers had secured a raise of $40
month recently, making an increase
of $50 a month for them in one year,
and that the I. w. w. agitators were
threatening another strike on the