Denver labor bulletin., 1918-07-06
KENEHAN WINS
CONSIDERATION
FOR FORTLOGAN
PRESENTS DATA TO SECRE-
TARY BAKER AND SEN
ATE COMMITTEE.
Surprises Military Heads by Or
ganized Labor's Unusual Inter
est in Betterinents for the
Army; Appropriation Is
Materially Increased.

Fort Logan is going to be given
due consideration by the United States
government. This assurance is
brought back from Washington by
Roady Kenehan, chairman of the joint
committee of the Denver Trades and
Labor Assembly and the Building
Trades Council, who presented the
matter before Secretary Of War Baker
and the Senate committee on military
affairs. Additional evidence of this is
seen in the Senate commit S subse-
quent action of increasing rom s41,-
900 to 100000 the appropriation for
immediate Improvements at the fort
and the sending to Denver by the war
department of an army officer to in
vestigate the conditions and possibili-
ties of Fort Logan. not only for pres
ent war needs, but as one of the great
national army training camps of the
future.
Baker Is Surprised.
Secretary of War Baker expressed
some surprise that organized labor of
Denver had interested itself in gov
eminent army camp. saying this was
the first instance of the kind that had
come under his observation. The sec
retary was much interested and sug-
gested that Mr. Kenehan take as much
time as needed in telling about his
mission.
In his characteristic way of cutting
out preliminary talk, the emissary of
labor went right to the point and told
why extension of Fort Logan as
great recruiting, mobilization and
training camp would be economical
and beneficial to the government and
conserve the health of our soldiers.
He presented printed brief contain
ing all the essential data. The sec
retary of war was so favorably i'm
pressed with Mr.. Kenehan's state
ment that later he phoned the labor
chairman at his hotel and asked for a
second conference.
Raises the Appropriation.
In like manner the logical reasons
for enlarging Fort Logan were pre-
sented to the Senate committee on
military affairs, of which Senator
Chamberlain is chairman, and was
given attentive consideration. One
result of his appearance before this
committee was the increased appro-
priation for immediate repairs at the
fort, making the amount $4,000 larg-
er than originally passed by the COM
mittee
While in Washington Mr.. Kenehan
attended the conference of federal
labor employment directors of the va
rious states, called by Secretary of
Labor Wilson. As already stated in
The Bulletin, plans were adopted to
have the federal labor directors as
sumo jurisdiction over all employment
during the war. 1t is highly prob
able that for many years after the
war federal jurisdiction over employ
ment and distribution of labor will
continue.
Denver Labor Progressive.
Mr.. Kenehan feels highly gratified
over the result of his visit to Wash
ington, and was able to make clear to
Secretary Baker and the Senate COM
mittee that the reason organized
labor interested itself in the Fort Lo-
gan extension is because in Colorado
we are progressive and lead in all
movements for development and ad-
vancement of public affairs. 1t was
so in securing the army recuperation
camp, the movement for which origi-
mated in petition proposed and
adopted by the Denver Trades and
Labor Assembly.