Denver labor bulletin., 1918-07-13
The Optimistic
Philosopher
THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF

THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF
consolation in the promise that when
labor editors reach the gate where
st. Peter stands guard, they will be
invited to come right in and take front
seats without having to go before a
QUESTIONABLE. Certain it is that we
qualify by forebearance, patience and
| good deeds that go unrewarded here
on earth. With this promise let us
at once proceed with the line of
thought which gives occasion for this
solace. When the Congress of the
United States enacted and President
Woodrow Wilson signed the zone law
with increased mailing rates for news
papers and magazines, great wall
went up from nearly every publica-
ton in the country. Editors deluged
congressman and senators with tele-
grams and letters demanding repeal
of the bill. The Bulletin editor did
not join in this lamentation, because
we believed that newspaper publish
ers and magazine magnates should
pay money to help win the war just
like ordinary mortals. We attended
meeting of publishers held in the
United States district court room a
few days preceding July /, when the
zone law became operative, and there
absorbed our share of the wisdom ex-
pounded by the postofffce experts as
to how to obey the aforesaid law. Thus
we took unusual care in preparing our
mailing lists as to zones land it might
be said here in parenthesis that The
Bulletin goes into all of the eight
zones covering. the earth created by
the postoffice Department., made out
q QYpfS in
two bits to a notary public for per-
uniting us to swear audibly as to
their correctness, and then filed same
in the proper department of the Den
yer postoffice. This duty performed
with grace and even temper, we re-
turned to the sanctum feeling that as
patriotic American citizen and pub
Usher of loyal labor paper, we had
scored high with Uncle Sam. For
we had not only refused to oppose tie
law, but had complied to its ever ex-
actness. Imagine, then, our deep
chagrin when on Saturday and Sun
day our telephone kept up a continu-
GUS jingle of protests from paid sub
scribers and advertisers who had not
received their favorite paper as usual.
1t made us mad, almost for the first
time in long career of more or less
disagreeable transactions with the
postoffice department. Then we re-
called that The Bulletin had been the
first and only paper in Denver to go
to the front for the postoffice clerks
and carriers, and that the editor on
visit to Washington had made per-
sonal appeals to senators and repre-
sentatives to boost the pay of under
paid and efficient employees of the
postoffice department. Yet The Bull
letin was the only newspaper in Colo
RADIO to be penalized under the new
zone law. Our mail bags were held
up in the distributing department
awaiting orders that we had complied
with the law, a compliance of which
we were among the first. 1t appears
that among what might facetiously
be termed the "irony" of things, The
Bulletins statements, affidavits, etc.,
had got lost in the big marble build
ing, and could not be found until the
editor visited the postoffice early Mon
day morning. Perhaps if we had
strenuously opposed the law and
kicked on the clerks and carriers re-
ceiving a 5000 per year increase of
| salary, our last weeks issue would
have gone thru in the regular way.
AS it was, The Bulletin was penal
lied for helping the government and
it's employees, and the paper did not
reach subscribers until Monday and
Tuesday, three days behind the usual
schedule. Now that this is out of our
system, we feel better and will pro-
coed once more in the usual optimistic
tone of endeavor.
OUR CON GENIAL FRIEND,
Richard E. Croskey, came beaming
into The Bulletin office one morning
this week, having just arrived home
from an extensive and successful or
ganizing campaign turnout Illinois.
"Dick" is a member of Denver Cooks
Union No. 10, for several years stat
istician in the state labor department
and former secretary of the Colo
RADIO State Federation of Labor. Even
his long absence had not caused us
to forget all these former glories. Now
''Dick" is general organizer for
the International Alliance of Hotel
and Restaurant Employees, and has
| just installed fifteen new local unions
in Illinois, record to be justly proud
of. He was in Illinois during a ses-
sion of the state legislature at Spring
4 field, and was of material assistance
in helping the laborites of that state
in passing some beneficial laws. Also
he attended the annual convention OF
the Illinois State Federation of Labor
and says it surpassed most national
conventions, there being over 300 dele
gates present "Dick" will spend a
few days breathing in the pure ozone
of the Rocky Mountain region, and
then start off on another campaign
His many friends here-are giving him
the glad hand. AS he perambulates
the streets, Dick frequently halts at