The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-05-24

these bonds, proving to the mos
skeptical that there is no truth that
the workingman, especially the or
ganized workingman, is in any sense
Stacker, whether at his daily toll
or in the subscriptions to bonds fol
the purpose of raising funds to be
used in stamping out, once and fol
all, autocracy, that the world be a
better place in which to live.
When you read this article the
great humanitarian movement to
hold up your end of the Red Cross
work will be almost at close, and
funds have been given to take care
Of the Boys ''over there" who have
been injured in the great war. Labor
has done it's share, here too, and
might well be proud Of its effort.
The beautiful part of the willing
ness of members of the labor move
ment in the above only goes still
further to prove that there never
comes a call for aid, no matter what
the source, that the call is not heed
cd, only with one exception, and that
exception is when we need aid our
selves, and then we do not respond
V it'll the same willingness we do to
the call from the outside.
Here we are in the midst Of q
n.Cat important campaign we nave
ever undertaken, yet the response for
aid and workers has practically gone
unheeded. CT course, there HIS been
reasons for the aHDa. -At apathy
but as pointed out ;.Dove, with the
loan drive out of the way and the
Red Cross appeal practically salts
fled there is no reason why We
should not turn our faces, our minds
and our energies towards our own
needs.
There is nothing more important
than that we "put across" our in
itiative campaign. There is more
than one reason why we should not
fail in our undertaking. If nothing
else mattered we should put these
three measures upon the ballot be-
cause it means everything to the
citizens of the state; money in then
pockets, political freedom and the
right to make known, without the
interference of the court. the griev-
ance against an unfair and an un-
just employer.
This is sufficient cause why VIC
should be successful in our efforts
But most important is the fact that
if we fail this year in our initiative
work it is practically certain that
no further effort will be made fol
years to come to again secure rem
edial legislation through the instru-
ment of the initiative.
There is no excuse, no reason, now
that you should not get behind the
program as outlined by the joint
legislative league and carry il
through to successful conclusion
There are a million people in our
fair State. Oh, if this million, o,
that portion of it entitled to vote
would awaken to the needs of these
measures being enacted into law
But for fear that a portion of then
will continue to sleep it is all the
more reason we, the trade unionists
should be wide awake, up and do
ing, while yet there is time.
The Federation has more than
doubled it's membership the past year.
While there are many members who
are disqualified from voting because
of their recent citizenship, yet there
are enough of US. if we only will, to
see that signatures sufficient in
number, are secured to place these
three measures upon the ballot in
grand style.
Space does not permit to explain
these measures. However, you ought
to be familiar enough with them to
require no further enlightenment.
But let me say this: If your
grocer charged you five cents more
than he should for a can of beans
you would set up howl that could
be heard a city block. And your
howl would be justified, and you
would continue to howl until the
mistake would be rectified. But
here we sit and cry over a nickel
while we are being robbed of dol
lars. Do you know that the COM
modities of life the past few years,
since 1916 to 1918 have increased
over 65 per cent? Do you know
the Federal Labor Department says