The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937, 1917-02-10

DEAR SlRs AND BRoTHERs-Th an
nual conventions of the American
Federation OF Labor are growing in I'M
portance. The work accomplished bv
each succeeding convention in formulat-
ing plans Tor the future adds to Our
responsibilities, and demands of us to
increase our activities as our opportuni-
ties are enlarged
he Baltimore Convention exceeded
i'll Importance those which have preced-
ed it, and the officers of the A. +. of l..
have been directed to carry out an ex-
tensive program.
In order that we may proceed in a
comprehensive and methodical manner
to carry out the Judgment of the con-
vention. 1t is necessary that you be in
formed OF the action taken which direct
ly concerns the character of work we
are expected to accomplish and with
which you have become familiar by
your experience of the past
National and international unions
were requested to instruct their local
unions to join city central bodies and
State federations of labor. This action
is III accordance with section ., Article
Nl, Of the constitution OF the A. f.
of l.. 1t is unnecessary to urge the
Importance of building up strong local
movements. This can only be accom-
plished through the marshaing OF La
bor's forces into the State and city CEN
trail bodies.
Those organizations which have thus
far not contributed one hours wage to
the fund for the Danbury Hatters as
requested by the San Francisco Con-
vention are urged to do so immediately.
The convention emphasized that all
State declarations of labor and organ
lied labor everywhere should make the
injunction question the paramount issue
in all of their future political activi-
ties; that they continue such activity
until a law has been placed on the stat
ute books of every State in the union
which will safeguard and protect the
rights and liberties OF all our citizens
in so far as the illegal, unconstitutional
and unwarranted use and abuse of the
writ of injunction is concerned in labor
disputes. The city central bodies are
earnestly requested to cooperate fully
with the State declarations of labor in
this matter. The Clayton Act, which de-
clares that the labor of a human being
is not commodity or article of COM
mercc, insofar as the federal statutes
are concerned corrects the illegal iSs,l-
ance and abuse of the writ of injunc-
ton in trade disputes. The convention
declared:
we hold that the paramount issue
now confronting organized labor speciil-
cally and unorganlzed labor Ill general,
is the extension of the provisions OF
the Clayton Act until it becomes law
operative IN every State of the Union
State and city bodies were warned to
be on the alert to secure State leSlsla-
ton to correct the evils now prevalent
III the various penal institutions where
by convict labor comes in competition
with free labor. 1t is urged that the
members of organized labor communi-
cate with their senators and congress
men asking them to support the Booher-
Hughes bill now before Congress.
The convention declared that the peo-
pie should directly control educational
facilities through the popular election of
boards of education; for a system OF
free text books; for adequate pension
provisions for public school teachers;
for teachers to have a voice in the ad-
ministration of the school system; that
schools must be removed from politics
by the merit principle of civil service
to the employment, advancement, and
dismissal of teachers; that teachers
-