Denver labor bulletin., 1917-08-04

offer abundant. fresh foods, more days
of sunshine than any other state, and
n high altitude.
Surgeon General Gorgas, Secretary
of War Baker and President Wilson
were all seen, and promised TO give
the matter due consideration.
Houston, while here, had talk with
President Gompers of the A. F. of l..
on the prohibition question. His paper
was the first labor paper in the country
to come out strongly for the dry
side of the question. Houston insists
that prohibition in Colorado has made
the union man not only more prosper
Gus rs an individual but more active
and intelligent as trade unionist. He
stated that he believed that the labor
movement would, on n referendum vote
of the whole country this year. show
clear majority for the nationwide
dry" proposition.
Union Man On War Board.
Hugh Frayne. organizer for the
American Federation of Labor in New
York city, and who came into ma
tional prominence last September thru
his attempt TO bring about n great
general strike in that city in sympathy
with the street car men, has been
made the labor representative on the
war industries board, which was ere
ated today by the council of national
defense.
Just what Frayne will be able to
do, as one out OF seven in the mem
bership of this board, no one can say.
Samuel Gompers has been one out of
seven in the advisory commission of
the council. and he has been absolute
ly blocked. during the past six months,
in his attempts to get even casual
recognition of the organized workers
on the effective committees of the
council. Secretary McAdoo recently
rubbed il in" by taking charge of the
preparation of the soldiers injury
CONDENSATION and separation allow
anre legislation which the council had
ASSIGNED 10 Gompcrs' committee on la
boz. This job, Of drafting n compen-
sa,ion law, was the first bit of work
that had come to the Gompers com
mittce.
During the past six weeks of grow
inp agitation on the part of the In
dustrinl Workers of the World, and OF
steady increase of strikes and indus
trial demands on the part of the trade
unions, the council of national defense
has permitted the impression TO go
abroad that it was about to "fiN IT up
with labor" There were rumors that
the council itself would be reorganized,
and that five or seven men would un-
dertake all of the responsible work IN
connection with the industrial side OF
the war. II was rumored further that
organized labor would be given very
large part of the power over the de-
cisions of this new board or council.
When questions were asked, as to
what would be done to give assurance
of economic safety to that nine-tenths
of the military force which remains,
under civil law, in the shops and fac
tories and mines, the administration
officials and their volunteer advisers"
talked confidently of satisfactory
agreement which was soon to be an
nounced.
Workers Representation Small.
Labor officials and the rank and file
wonder whether the appointment of
Hugh Frayne to the seven-man war
industries board, along with Judge
Robert S. Lovett of the Southern Pa
cifc railway, Bernard Baruch of Wall
street, Frank A. Scott, recently chair
man Of the general munitions board,
Robert S. Brookings, st. Louis mer-
chant, and Lieutenant Colonel Pierce
of the army and Admiral Fletcher of
the navy, is going to prove satisfac-
tory to the unions that have demand
ed, and insisted upon, direct represen-
tation on all the contract-handling
committees.
A. ofy,,;ol atatcment saws that THE