Denver labor bulletin., 1918-08-17
SECRETARY ANDERSON'S REPORT

To the Officers and Delegates Of the
Twenty-third Annual Convention
OF the Colorado State Federation
of Labor.
Fellow Trade Unionists: II is with
feelings Of both pleasure and regret
that / again offer 20 you a brief re-
view of my stewardship for the past
year. II is pleasant to report the
progress that has been made in the
interest Of those who toll. even tho il
has not been all we had hoped to ac-
complish, but we must realize ours is
n constant fight for better conditions.
that our work Is never done IL we hope
to secure the position for labor which
IL is destined TO occupy. 1t is with
regret that We report Of our failures
along some lines, but hope that each
defeat or failure will only serve as n
reminder TO us Of the necessity OF our
awakening to the task and that we
will buckle on the nrmor Of freedom
and advance on our common enemies
and wagc n continuous battle until vic
tory shall crown our efforts and we
shall have secured all Of our just
rights. Opportunities were never so
great for labor to come into its own
as now, when SO much In expected OF
forget or shirk our duty now and
every day, but we will insist on our
rights being protected to the fullest
extent.
Democracy in government Is being
more and more demanded as the peo-
pie become educated TO the duty they
owe the government and the part they
should demand and take in formulat-
ing the policies Of government Who
better than the people themselves can
say what they want in the law OF the
landf II the people are capable Of
making lawmakers, they are capable
disobey, IL is but right that the people
reserve to themselves the power to
correct mistakes, and to right wrongs,
and to thus publicly rebuke their serv-
ants, who have proved unfaithful to
the trust rcposed in them by the peo-
pie, and write their own mandates in
the statute books. ! look forward with
much hope to the time when this state
will be ruled by the hand Of democ-
racy, true in deed as well rs in name.
In this great work organized labor
has its part to perform. Let us meet
and discharge our every obligation. Let
which we find ourselves engaged will
be speedily brought to victorious and
honorable end and freedom and democ-
racy prevail thruout the world and let
us assure our state and nation Of our
loyal and patriotic support, and let
us extend to our President, the Hon.
orable Woodrow Wilson. our best
wishes and untiring support in his
efforts for successful termination
of this worldwide struggle for a
worlds democracy. In all this we
must and will conduct ourselves in
such manner as will prove that we
are true Americans and have only one
object in view. and that is to protect
Of our country.
Affiliations.
Since the last convention of this
Federation there have been forty-four
affiliations with this Federation. This
leaves those on the outside very few
in number. / have by personal ap-
peals, and by correspondence. endea-
vored to secure their cooperation with
the state labor movement. In this
work ! have had the active co-opera-
tion of various international secretar-
les, notably Duffy Of the Carpenters,
Lane Of the Amalgamated Meat CUT
ters, President McNulty Of the Elec-
tricnl Workers, Kramer Of the Black
smiths, Reinemeyer Of the Boilermak-
ers, Burke Of the Plumbers and Steam
Filters and others. Efforts along this
line should be continued until we can
secure, thru the American Federation
of Labor, the adoption by all interna-
tional and national organizations COM
pulsory afIiliation Of all local unions Of
every craft.
New Affiliations.
Amalgamated Sheet Metal Workers.
Local No. o, Denver.