The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-06-09
UNION LABOR PAN
FOR ADVANCEMENT.
IS MADE PUBLIC
Report of A. F. of l. ExeCu-
tive Council Outlines Pro-
gram for Betterment of
Working Conditions.

ATLANTIC CITY, n. j., June s.
Important projects for the advance
ment of labor and improvement OF
working conditions, as well as compre-
hensive outlines of what has been &C
complished on labor's behalf during the
last year, are set forth in the report OF
the executive council of the American
Federation Of Labor, submitted today
to the officers and delegates
the opening session Of the thlrty-hlnth
annual convention.
The advent of peace is taken by the
council TO hold out bright prospects ioS
labor. OF the peace treaty itsei, tne
labor executives forming the council
after indorsing the triumph Of freedom
and Justice and democracy as eAen-
plified in the covenant OF the league OF
nations" says that the labor sections
are a compromise, but that II must,
however, BE a source Of deepest salts
faction TO the American working people
to know that the American position and
the American declarations as presented
for insertion in the treaty ranked aboNe
all others in point Of progress measured
and in point Of actual and practical ap-
plication in the lives OF working people.
Whatever OF compromise appears, was
made because Of the claim that other
nations of the world could not pledge
themselves to an immediate and definite
acceptance of the standards maintained
by the American labor movement as
the established practice of U day,
Ask Legal Changes.
Foremost among the matters submit
ted by the council to the convention are
suggestions dealing with legislation to
prevent any invasion Of the rights and
prerogatives of the legislative branch
of our government by the judiciary.
The report Of the council on this sub
ject was made in accordance with a
resolution adopted by the st. Paul con-
v%ention. In that resolution the council
was ordered to study 1.-The successive
steps which have been taken by our
federal M supreme courts through
which, without constitutional authority
and in opposition of the action Of the
| constitutional convention they laid hold
upon power which they nov exercise, =
The study has been partially COM
pleted and contains remedial sugges-
tions made by Jockson II, Ralston, at
torney of the American Federation of
Labor. Three propositions are submit
ted In the report for the consideration
of the convention, each proposing that
authority Of the supreme court TO pass
upon acts Of ongress should be can
celed or abridged,
Arguments for and against the pro-
posals are discussed at considerable
length, Mr.. Ralston giving 1t as his
opinion that, coupled with judicial re-
forms there should 60 hand In hand
the initiative and referendum, proper
tional representation and the preferen-
tial ballot" without which, he says,
methods of attaining justice will lack
much of completeness"
This section Of the report closes with
the statement that the writer is con-
| xytnnnI that a., tltp u1akfAnf Nha nxnrtt-
tive council has had before it ''one OF
the gravest fundamental questions with
which we will have to deal crea-
ton of a truly democratic government
against what has often been called the
'aristocracy of the robe"
Considerable attention Is devoted by
the report 10 labor legislation. IT /,
said that some rule should be adopted
in a congress which would prevent OBJ
structiye legislative methods. The re-
port lists among the measures stalled
by "the weary waste of worthless
words" in the last congress and IL
which labor was especially interested
the appropriation bills for the war la.
Dor board, United States employment
agency, women in industrial service
working conditions service and the in.
vestigation and inspection service.
The executive council suggests tina
the convention authorize the printing
ana Wlue CIRCULATION OF a list OF meas
ures In which the American Federation
Of Labor Is interested. among which are
the bill f%orbiddlng the immigration fol
four years during the period of indus
trial reconstruction, a bill for an ole
age retirement system for federal en-
ployes in the classified service, a bill
providing a minimum wage of SO a day
for federal employees, Secretary Lanes
bill to furnish land for soldiers an
sailors, a bill to give states the same
power over the products OF convict la
Dor from other states as they exercise
over the products Of their own prisons
industrial vocational education for per.
sons crippled In industry, Increased pay
for teachers, and educational ills de
signed to end a dull i~lliteracy in the
United States.