Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-02-07
ORGANIZED LABOR
AT SPRINGFIELD
VIII Ask Legislature For Many
Needed Reforms.
STATE FUNDS STILL NEEDED.

Springfield. Ill. Special)-organ-
lied labor in Illinois is prepared to de-
mand a comprehensive program of
legislation from the Fiftieth General
Assembly. The labor lobby, headed by
John II. Walker, president of the State
Federation of Labor, and Victor Dian
der, secretary of the organization, is
established in Springfield headquar-
ters and, reinforced by the legislative
committees from the various organiza-
lions affiliated with the main body,
will guard their pet measures through
their legislative progress.
The full force of union labors influ.
ence viii be used to push through pas.
sage the anti-injunction bill, which will
: be introduced in both branches Of the
General Assembly this week While
every effort will be made to get as
much favorable legislation as possible,
the leaders have set their minds upon
the anti-injunction law and they are
willing TO sacrifice some of their other
measures if this particular one is
favored.
Strictly speaking, the bill is not an
anti-injunction measure. 1t does not
undertake to prohibit the issuing OF
injunctions in labor disputes, but re
quires a trial by jury whenever a per
son is cited for contempt of court in
violation of labor injunction. Under
existing laws, the judge who issues a
writ restraining an individual from
trespassing upon the property of an
other or otherwise interfering in labor
disputes can punish .violator o. such
injunction, either by inflicting fine
or imposing a prison sentence.
1t is the application of this authority
that has proved so obnoxious to organ
lied labor and has resulted in repeated
efforts. to secure legislation either pro
hibiting the issuing of injunctions in
labor disputes or of, abridging the
power of the courts in Furnishing Of
tenders. Labor leaders throughout the
entire country have felt the heavy
hand of the law inflicted for violations
of injunctions in strike cases and the
movement for relief is nationwide
among the unionists.
Another measure that will be urged
for passage by the labor lobby is that
limiting the working hours of women
to eight hours day. Illinois now has
a ten-hour law for women. If any
additional legislation is had along this
line it will probably be a compromise,
reducing the working hours to nine
Exemptions will be made, in all prob.
ability, in such lines as the canning
industries and the like, where it is
necessary to handle the product
promptly to save loss.
Railroad employees, represented
through the various brotherhoods, will
make another effort to secure the pas
sage of their fifty-car bill, limiting
freight trains to total of fifty cars.
A bitter fight was made when this
measure was pending two years ago.
The trainmen contend that trains of
longer than fifty cars are dangerous to
the members of the crew and cite vari-
Gus other objections TO them. Rail-
road officials, on the other hand, de-
clare that safety lies in longer trains
and fewer of them, and insist the mil
lions of dollars invested in heavy
tracks, improved road beds and mod
ern motive power viii be wasted if the
roads are required to return TO the
days of fifty-car trains. More than
double this number of cars is fire.
quently carried in freight trains of the
present day.
The full crew bill is another old ac-
quaintance the lawmakers WIN recog.
nize when it is presented to item by
the labor leaders. Another measure
that will be urged for passage provides
that two switchmen instead of one
shall be carried on the front of all
trains when being made up in local
yards. The trainmen deslare that fire.
quently a single switchman, working
on the front end of a train is knocked
off and mangled and the accident is not
discovered until the crew is assembled.
Two flagmen instead of one also will
be asked for all passenger trains run.
ming in the state
Announcement has been made that
the representatives of organized labor
will not oppose Governor Lowden's de-
partment consolidation program. They
have asked the opportunity to look
over the consolidation bill before it is
presented to the assemblymen and this
request will be granted. 1t is not
anticipated, however, even by the mem
bers of the labor lobby, that there will
be anything in the measure inimical
to their interests.
Unexpected progress has been made |
toward perfecting the plan for depart |
ment consolidation as proposed by |
Governor Lowden and it looks now like |
the bill will be ready to lay before the |
legislators much sooner than was
anticipated. Attorney General Edward |
J. Brundage and Charles E. Woodward |
of Ottawa, Governor Lowden's special |
attorney in the matter, are now at |
work on the draft of the measure and |
expect to have 1t ready in tentative !
form, some time next week. Several |
changes from the tentative form are |
not unlikely, but if the progress of the I
measure continues as expeditiously as
in the last two weeks, it is likely to
reach the legislative calendar before
the present month ends.
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