The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-01-17
Seattle, January 13, 1918
Three Initiative Measures

Three Initiative Measures
Maintaining unchanged their polit-
cal alliance of several years stand
ing, organized labor and the organ
lied farmers of Washington will join
forces in the coming state campaign
to swat the high cost of living by
putting through under the initiative
act bill to establish direct mar
keting system; also to enact law
establishing the right of trade un-
ions to picket by curbing the in
junction power of the courts. A
third initiative measure to be work.
ed for will be bill to provide for
non-partisan state and county pri-
mary elections.
cided upon at joint meeting of
trade unonists and farmers held
yesterday in the Hotel New Rich
mond under the auspices of the Ex-
ecutive Council of the State Feder-
alton of Labor. The Washington
State Grange, the Farmers Union
of Washington and the State Direct
Legislation League were represented
by delegates. Details of legislative
program are being worked out at
another session of the delegates to-
day.
William Short Named
The election of William Short of
Seattle to succeed Ernest P. Marsh
of Everett as president of the State
Federation of Labor, was feature
of a meeting of the Federation's
Executive Council held last evening.
The Councils action was not uneX-
pected, since Marsh ceased to act
as head of the Federation more than
three months ago, when he accepted
an appointment from President
Woodrow Wilson to become a men,
ber of the Mediation commission the
President created to negotiate settle
ments of the Arizona copper strikes,
the Northwest lumber strikes and
other labor disputes in the West af-
fecting war essential industries.
When Marsh resumed his duties
as a government mediator his pow
ers as President became vested in
the Executive Council composed of
the Presidents and Secretary
Treasurer of the Federation.
Notified that the council was to
meet, Marsh yesterday telegraphed
his formal resignation from Wash
ington, D. c., and after it was ac-
cepted Short was elected to fill the
vacancy.
Marsh is still acting as a member
of the Presidents Mediation Com
mission and will probably remain in
the government service throughout
the period of the war. When he
was in Seattle few weeks ago with
the Mediation Commission he told
friends that he had been asked to
take an appointment as special COM
missioner of the Labor Department
to deal with war work problems as
a representative of organized labor,
and that he had decided to accept.
To Tour Country
1t was announced by the Executive
Council yesterday that Marsh will
devote most of his time as special
commissioner to touring the country,
lecturing before labor organizations
with the purpose of bringing about
greater cooperation between organ
lied labor and the government in the
production of war materials.
AS a member of the Presidents
Mediation Commission, of which Sec
retary of Labor Wilson is chairman,
Marsh's tact and ability became rec
ognized as valuable to the govern
ment in the present crisis, and his
appointment as special labor COM
missioner was the result.
Short, the new president of the
State Federation, has held the Vice
Presidency of the Seattle district for
several years. He has for more than
four years been secretary treasurer
of District No. 10 of the United Mine
Workers, the international union OF
the coal miners, his district including
the entire state of Washington. Be-
fore coming to Seattle, the headquar-
ters of the district, to reside, he
lived at Black Diamond.
Short is now in Indianapolis at
tending the biennial international con-
vention of the United Mine Workers,
but it is understood that he agreed
before his departure for the East to
accept the presidency of the State
Federation if elected to the position
by the Executive Council.