Denver labor bulletin., 1917-03-10
BY LAWRENCE TODD
Especial Washington Correspondent The
Denver Labor Bulletin.)

WAS11NHl YIN NldISil - hS iaSs
session of the sixty-fourth congress
has not materially advanced the Amer
lean labor movement, but it has not re-
tarded it. Attacks upon the funda-
mental rights of the organized wage
workers have been beaten off, in three
notable instances. The attempt to
secure compulsory delay of railroad
strikes-the most seriously reaction
ary policy ever announced bv Presi-
dent Wilson-has collapsed under the
blows administered to it by the repre-
sentatives of the railroad brother
hoods, the American Federation of La.
Dor and the progressive element OF
the country generally. Next, the
scheme Matched in the department of
justice to provide for industrial and
military CONSUMPTION of workers on
goods needed by the navy has been
killed. Finally the proposal to crush
the Porto Rican labo: NOV ement by
taking away the wor%ets' right to vote
and to hold 1ifice has been defeated
AS a party OF protest against viola
tions of its established rights, the
labor movement has scored heavily
during these ANXIOUS months. But as
a party of social construction-as a
force for making new conditions in
industry thru the power of rev legis-
lation-it has not distinguished itself
Some Bills Which Failed.
When the session opened last De-
cember Representative Nolan Of San
Francisco, progressive Republican,
was seeking to get action in the house
on his bill which provides that no less
than SO a day shall be paid to any
federal employe under civil service
regulations. This minimum wage law
would have been a godsend to thou
sands of laborers and caretakers in
and around government buildings and
parks. Congress has not allowed it to
come up for vote.
Representative Crosser, Democrat,
of Cleveland, had before the Labor
committee mis- famous land coloniza-
ton bill, which proposed to prepare
large tracts of government Landry
plowing, grading, draining, irrigating,
construction of roads, houses, barns,
water supply, purchase of tools and
livestock, etc.-so that colonies of un-
employed workers might settle on
these tracts and become permanent
homecoming farmers. The govern
ment was to finance these projects
just as the New Zealand government
and in some districts the Canadian
government has done, giving title
when the tenant has earned the i'm
provements at fair charge. Con-
gress has not considered this big con-
structive measure, which has the sup
port of many of the best farming ex-
perts in the government service.
Representative Casey, Democrat, of
Wilkes-B Barre, has constantly, thruout
this session, tried to get the house to
take up his bill providing for spe-
cial women's division in the depart
ment of labor, to look after the inter
ests of eight million American women
who are employed in industry. The
labor movement has been unable to
secure action by congress on this bill.
London Becomes Important.
Representative London, Socialist, of
New York, has insisted, week after
week, that he be given chance to
get rollcall on his bill calling for a
federal report on the need for social
insurance-old age pensions, sickness
insurance and unemployment insur-
ance-in this country. Once he was
permitted to move that the rules be
suspended to permit it to be passed.
On that motion two-thirds majority
was necessary, and he failed to get it.
At the last moment, as the session
was dying, the Democrats promised to
let him try for another rollcall They
want London's support in organizing
the new house. Otherwise congress
would have paid no attention to his
bill.
Representative Booher, Democrat,
of Missouri, has for several sessions
been urging bill restricting the in
terstate shipment of convict-made
goods. Organized labor has been
stanchly supporting this measure, but
congress has done nothing whatever
with it since it was favorably reported
from the labor committee last spring.
Fighting OFF Reactionaries.
These five principle measures have
remained on the house calendar be-
cause the "labor group" in the house
made the mistake at the start of the
session by leaving them to Chairman
Lewis of the committee on labor. Lew
is had just been defeated in a cam
paign for the senatorship from Mary
land; he had attended to but little OF
the business of the committee during
the past summer; he did not watch
the parliamentary situation closely
enough, in the first few days, and his
only chance to bring up his labor bills
in the house was lost. Another com.
mittee got the floor; his turn never
came around again. AS there were
only a dozen real labor men in the
house membership, it was impossible
to get the rules suspended, or to get
special rules from the rules commit.
tee, to take up these labor bills Out
of the regular order.
So the winter has been spent By
men such as Heating, Casey, Nolan
London, Crosser and Buchanan ir
fighting off the reactionary bills anc
amendments brought in from various
committees and attached to appropria.
ton bills. They have won some small
increases in pay for the worst-paic
government clerks. They have kept
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