Denver labor bulletin., 1918-12-28
THE NEW POLITICAL LABOR PARTY
ABSORBING TOPIC IN WASHINGTON
Coming Readusent Concerted Poti
Action of Workers Will Be More Necessary Than
Ever Before to Bring About the Desired Results
ny LAURENCE TODD.
Especial Representattve The Denver Lal
Bulletin.)

especial Bepresentnttve Ine penser LADof
Baiietin-)
Washington, Dec. 20.-Out of the
first $50 local unions affiliated with
the Chicago Federation OF Labor to
take a referendum vote upon the es-
tablishment OF the Independent Labor
party with a complete and permanent
precinct organization. and supporting
"I.abor's Fourteen Points" as its plat
form, only eight or nine have failed to
give IL their approval That is the
word brought here by Secretary Ed.
Nockels. who Is one of the prime NOV
ers in tint plan A similar referendum
is now being taken by the Illinois
State Federation OF Labor among all
its affiliated locals and central bodies.
since the convention OF the State Fed
erRtion voted unanimously to organ
lze the political movement thruout
the entire state.
III We have guessed right as to
what the membership win do said
Nockels. we shall win the spring
campaign for control OF the municipal
government OF Chicago. II we have
guessed wrong, then we who started
this movement have lost our heads.
The organized labor movement of Chi
cago has enough votes to win when
ever IL gets ready to cast them for
its own candidates. We have pro
posed a program-a platform. We
have asked the membership TO stand
together for that program. II they
do. as We believe they will. then our
Judgment will have been endorsed.
We thought the membership of the
unions were ready to act. The refer
endum thus far seems to show We
were right"
Among the other tig Industrial cen
fan ha 1and n
Chicago in this regard. Detroit may
now be counted. Its central labor
body has endorsed the plan in prin-
ciple," and has ordered that pro-
gram be drafted and submitted for
discussion. There are unofficial re-
ports that similar action has been
voted in a number OF Middle Western
cities during the past week. while the
workers in the Eastern region where
most OF the war industries were To-
Gated seem to be awaiting only the
last hours of the National War Labor
Board to Join the political movement
That the country is about to witness
a tremendous increase in the self-de-
termination of labor. politically as well
as industrially, and that all the old
landmarks OF labor's power will be left
behind. was the warning delivered to
a meeting of nearly hundred public
officials, labor officials, and moderate
liberals OF various sorts. yesterday. by
Charles Edward Russell OF the Amer
lean Alliance of Labor and Dcmoc-
racy. The occasion was the fortnight
ly lunch of the National Popular Gov
ernment League. which is calling big
Reconstruction Conference OF the lib
eral forces, to be held here January 2
toll. Russell was invited to tell what
he thought would have to be done to-
ward reconstruction in America.
Congress is trusting to luck" said
Russell. England is not. In England
and In France and Italy they are work
ing hard on these problems of demobii-
ization. They know that II Will be
mighty dangerous to try TO 'muddle
thru. Congress ought to know that
II Is dangerous to try to 'muddle thru
the turning of three or four millions OF
soldiers back into civil life without a
definite plan to safeguard them
against unemployment. Our situation
is not so serious as England's. but be-
iieve me II will be serious enough be-
fore We are thru.
England has agreed to keep every
soldier upon the nations payroll until
a suitable job IL found for him. Eng
land has discovered that her working
people are not going to agree to any
reduction in the standard OF living
that they have reached during the
war. Men in some of the trades have
been making dollars where they used
to earn shillings. They have learned
TO live better than they ever dreamed
of living, before the war. Their chill
dren are getting better food. better
clothes. some are even getting music
lessons, and there are thousands of
pianos today In the homes OF British
wage-earners--a thing unheard OF be-
fore 1914.
AT the same time. the jobs of the
millions of soldiers hove been taken
More than million and a quarter of
women have gone into Industries
where no women were employed be-
fore the war, Women now vote in
Britain. and they cannot be put out
of their jobs by wave OF the hand
Industry must be ,reorganized on n
basis which will permit the returned
soldiers. and the workers who have
been employed in the Industries during
the war. all to be taken care of. The
government has got to see that that
Is done, naa
But the manufacturers in England
are declaring that unless the wages
come down. unless the workers will
go back to the lower standard Of liv-
ing that prevailed before the war.
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