Denver labor bulletin., 1917-05-05
BY LAURENCE TODD
Especial WAshinEton Correspondent The
Denver Labor Builetin.)


Especial Washing Eton Correspondent The
Denver Labor BuiIetin.)
WASHINGTON, April 28.-In the
organization of the labor committee
of which Samuel Gompers is chairman,
and which comprises one of the seven
main committees doing the actual
work of the council of national de-
fense, there has been enlisted one of
the keenest-witted and devoted young
lawyers in the country. He is Felix
Frankfurter, professor in Harvard
law school, and successor to Justice
Louis d. Brandeis as defender of Ia
Dor Legislation before the supreme
court of the United States. He is n
former pupil of Brandeis and when the
latter went upon the bench Frank
furter took up the Oregon minimum
wage law for women, and the Oregon
general ten-hour law for men, and re-
argued them before the court. He
won both cases, and so has laid
foundation for n big development Of
state Legislation restricting the hours
Of labor in industry.
Frankfurter's Big Job.
Now Frankfurter has taken hold
Of the legal problems arising in the
protection Of the wage earners Of the
United States. during this war, from
the invnsions Of their rights which
will constantly be made by the mill
tary caste. ConEcription brings n
horde Of unfit. as well at fit, men into
power in the army. These unfit speci-
mems of authority have no use for
labor They will constantly be trying
to bulldoze the workers in the NUM-
ton plants and shipyards and the sup
ply factories, unless they are care
F,,1t.s EaiN in, rkaal hts tho 1nf
mittce and by outside organizations.
To watch these matters is one part Of
Frankfurter's job.
Opposed TO Long Hours.
In this connection il may as well be
stated again that the American Fed
Grafton of Labor il absolutely opposed
TO any lcng;hening of hours, except
with punitive rates for overtime, dur
ing the war. Anything less than time
and half for overtime worked. in the
opinion Of the executive council which
has just been in session here. Will
lead to the permanent lengthening of
the working day and n consequent loss
Of the right of the worker to adequate
hours Of rest. Habtual overtime will
result in stoppaFe Of the upward
trend of the normal wages, Hence the
emergency must be severe and brief
IL labor is to submit TO overtime schcd-
ulcs to any extent.
Labor Veteran on Deck.
Subcommittee of the labor commit
tee are being arranged, and within n
few dayE will be announced. Visitors
at the Offices of the A. F. of l.. find
the veteran. J. w. Sullivan, in an
office near that Of President Gompcrs.
working out the details of much of
this internal organization. In con-
sultation with him is Ralph Nj. Easley,
general secretary of the national civic
federation. who is one of the cNecu-
tive committee named by Mr.. Com
pers to choose the sub-committecs and
assign their work TO them.
Much Opposition to Root.
Announcement from the White
House that Elihu Root has been made
chairman of the American high COM
mission to Russia has created n sort
of stupefcd amazement in labor cir
cles in Washington. Nobody can un.
dcrstand why the man who above all
others has been identified with at
tempts TO shut political refugees
and particularly refugees from the
tyranny of the czar-out of the United
States. should be sent to tell revolu-
tionary Russia of our good will, and
TO advise her in writing n democratic
constitution.
Two years ago the state of New
York elected delegates to constitu-
tonal convention. Mr.. Gompers was
candidate, but was defeated. Mr..
Root opposed his candidacy. Root
became president of the convention and
dominated its proceedings.
This convention laughed or sncercd
at the suggestions of humane provis-
ions made by labor spokeSmen; ii
turned down the proposals of giving
to the people the power of initiative,
referendum and recall; it refused to
protect the public's ownership of wa.
ter power and forest lands; II wound
up by adopting corporation docu-
mcnt that was buried at the polls
under an adverse majority of half n
million votes.
A Misft in Russia.
In an editorial in the American
Federationist for December, 1915, en-
titled "Mr. Roots Government Re-
iectcd," Mr.. Gompcrs gives the best
of reasons why Root should not be
showed upon the Russian people when
they are trying to establish peoples
government.
Among other things this editorial
says;
deceive the average laymnn. Powers
were centralized and left without safe
guards that would prevent their per-
version. Opportunity was created for
the practical domination of the mill
tary over the civil power.
"Mr. Root wrote into this proposed
constitution his ideals of representa-
tive institutions concepts which