Denver labor bulletin., 1918-12-21
NATIONAL NONPARTISAN LEAGUE
ENDORSES LABOR POLITICAL PARTY
Federation Labor Is
posed Chicago Move and Spoke Against the Same
Before Reconstruction Committee of the Cen
Federated Union in New York.

protest that is almost bitter in tone.
The Cleveland Case.
The league calls upon the war labor
sin order to secure settlement just
to all, III common fairness to the wom-
en- workers of America, who by assum-
ing responsibilities urged upon them
have made possible the fighting front
in France, and have done their utmost
to help bring the war to victorious
conclusion"
1t calls the action of the war labor
board, in simply wiping these organ
lied women off the industrial map, ian
amazing infringement of fundamental
rights" and "a most dangerous prece-
dent to act at the very beginning of
most intelligent cooperation alike of
the employers, the workers and the
country"
Reconstruction
Under the circumstances, it is prob
ably fortunate that the reconstruction
committee selected by the president
of the A. F. of L. to untangle all of
these knotty problems has organized
and begun its work. The committee
is made up of John P. Frey of the
Molders, A. o. Wharton of the Ma
chinists, John Moore of the United
Mine Workers, George Perkins Of the
Cigarmakers and Matthew Woll of the
Photo-Ergravers. The Women's Trade
Union League may not be able to i'm
press the war labor board, which is
near the end of its usefulness any
how, but they will be able to bring
their cause into court before the re-
construction committee. From that
body they can appeal to the executive
council, and then to the convention of
the American Federation of Labor.
If some of the labor organizations
are alarmed at the women's invasion
of the general industrial field, an even
greater anxiety is felt regarding the
return of the soldiers this winter.
Latest information is that Pershing's
men will be discharged and sent home
almost as fast as they arrive on this
side the ocean, instead of being held
in camps for while. The war de-
partment is now understood to be
planning to release only about three
fourths of the men who have been
held in camp in the United States,
and to organize the remaining fourth
into permanent training CORPS" to
be kept in uniform until the last of the
army from France has been demobi-
lized. To this extent, it seems, the
department now is going to withhold
men from the general rush for jobs
for the reconstruction period.
Railroad Ownership.
Whether million men will be given
employment on public utility construc-
ton, and especially in improving the
railroad lines, depends on the attitude
the country and Congress shall take
as to public ownership of the railway
system. John Scott, secretary of the
railway department of the A. F. of
L., says that his department is about
to issue series of questions, for,
referendum of the membership of the
unions in that department, on the
questions of public ownership and
democratic management of the rail-
roads. A considerable number of To-
cal unions have demanded public own
ership and operation; some of the Off
GERS are opposed to it, believing that
the present arrangement is good
enough; others want the government
to give back even the control of the
property.
Nine times out of ten, the fear of
public ownership is based on the fact
that President Wilson has kept in
office so Objectionable an industrial ty-
rant as Postmaster General Burleson.
Director General McAdoo, in spite of
his no-politics order, which was SIM
ply ignored by the men in railroad
service, is popular. 1t is not easy for
the older labor officials to imagine
time when men like Burleson will be
excluded from governmental power by
the labor political organization. If
labor really had a voice in the man.
agement, they agree, then public own
ership would be the ideal plan.