The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-01-26

Washington State Federation of La
Dor was called to order by Seventh
Vice-President E. A. Francois.
Rev. E. E. Flint delivered the in
vocation. Then followed music by
Wagner's Orchestra.
Mayor d. D. Merrill welcomed the
convention on behalf of the city in
short address.
President A. Dieterle, of the Ever
ett Trades Council, in a few well
chosen words welcomed the conven-
tion to Everett.
Judge w. w. Black was then in
troduced and made an address of
welcome on behalf of the plain peo-
pie. Judge Blacks speech was elo-
quent and forceful and was en-
Enthusiastically received by the conven-
tion.
After a few terse Introductory re-
marks the judge said:
81 assure you my fellow citizens
that I appreciate the Importance of
this meeting of the representatives
of labor.
81 want to thank the committee of
arrangements for the honor it be-
slowed upon me, mere private citi
zen, in giving me this opportunity of
saying a few words of greeting to
this assemblage.
81 want to assure you that / am in
full and hearty sympathy with any
organization having for it's purpose
the bettering of conditions of wage
earners and helping them to get in
creased wages and the raising of
their standards of living, and 1 am
confident in this I represent a very
large majority of the citizens of this
city.
Every thoughtful man or woman
of intelligence knows that when the
wages of the wage-earners is in
creased and his working hours short
ened and his standard of living raised
that it not only makes better citi-
zens of the wage-earner himself and
afford him an opportunity to bring
up his family under such surround
ings as will make them better citi-
zens, but it also raises the stand
ards of living of the general mass of
people engaged in useful employment
who are not generally classed as
laborers or wage earners.
"All wealth is created by labor.
Capital is the product of labor. La
borers, however, rarely ever obtain a
fair proportion of the wealth they
create. take it that one of the pur=
poses of this federation is to de-
wise ways and means to enable the
men and women wage-earners or la
borers as they are usually called, to
obtain fair proportion of the wealth
created by them. In this purpose you
are entitled not only to the well
wishes of all good citizens but you
are entitled also to their active aid
and influence.
''The man who opposes this purpose
of organized labor wilfully and know
ingly is an enemy of society and
strikes a blow at the prosperity,
happiness and well being of the gen.
eral mass of mankind.
"The great problem of the age is
the labor problem. The men and
women who are honestly engaged in
solving this momentous question are
entitled to the gratitude of all of our
people.
Capitalists and those generally
iaborers ought to be copartners. Many
designing persons are constantly de-
claiming that capital and labor are
co-partners, but usually they seem
to be fearful that capital will not
receive its just reward. l have no
such fear.
"Under present conditions capital
and labor are at war. They unite to
create wealth but are at war in re-
gard to its division. Capital and la
Dor should be co-partners and the
, men who can devise some plan by
} which lasting peace can be arranged
and a partnership truly created
so that they both will know that they
each are assured of a fair and just
division of profits and know that each
member of the partnership will have
n sure means of not only knowing
what the profits are and sure of it's
proper distribution, but also each
have his proper share in the man.
agement of the joint enterprise, will
be entitled to the plaudits of man.
kind
Capital and labor have been so
long engaged in war it will take much
patience and wise action and many