The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-07-31
LEAGUE
OF LABOR

MINNESOTA WORKERS ORGAN
IZE TO WORK POLITICALLY
WITH FARMERS
!. A nonpartisan league of labor to
work in alliance with the Nonpartisan
League of farmers was launched at
the annual convention of the Mime
sofa Federation of Labor at New Ulm
this week. The vote to join the organ
lied farmers in the fight for indus
trial democracy was taken at a eau
cas- pri.r to the assembling of the reg
ular convention and was based upon
the report and recommendations of a
committee of five who had been work
ing on the plan for a year. Nearly
400 delegates representing practically
every. labor union in Minnesota, the
membership of which numbers many
thousands, voted overwhelmingly for
the step.
Repudiating all political parties, af-
firming the nonpartisan character of
the new labor movement and adopt
ing q platform demanding the same
reforms as those demanded by the
National Nonpartisan League, the or
ganized workers of Minnesota started
the first labor movement in America
based completely on the plan of the
National Nonpartisan League and de-
signed to work wholly in alliance with
it. The organization was named the
Wo1H hg Peoples Political League Of
Min ota. Before the delegates voted
on Aetplan, S. S. Mcdonald, president
Of thu North Dakota Federation of
Labor land George D. Brewer, Non
partis1n h League lecturer, addressed
the .eSScus relating how the organized
woxlkk and farmers Of North Dako-
to hA9 worked .ogethe- AMI the best
labor INV in the history Of Ihe United
Stairs had rrs,:te6.
Officers were elected as follows:
chairman, William Mahoney, st. Paul; /;
secretary -treasurer, Thos. Van Lear,
Minneapolis, executive committee, A.
E. Smith and Louis Frank, st. Paul;
c. z. Nelson, James A. Watkins and
e. J. Whitney, Minneapolis.
George w. Lawson, secretary of the
Minnesota Federation Of Labor, an
nounced, Undoubtedly we will work
with the Nonpartisan League, as in
the campaign year ago."
IN tie campaign year ago the or:
.ganised workers Of Minnesota indorsel
the city candidates for Legislative ane
other state officers while the farmers
indorsed the candidates outside the
cities. The new nonpartisan league Of
labor completes the wark started a
year ago and builds up a permanent
organization which will have it's dues
system like the farmers and it's own
press like the Nonpartisan League
The membership dues will be collected
by each union from it's members and
turned into the league fund.
The platform, like that of the Ma
tional Nonpartisan League, advocates
a stateat. bank, state insurance ane
state owned and operated stockyards
packing plants, grain elevators, ter
minal markets and also the public ow'
nership of railroads, steamships, tele
graphs, telephones and all other pub
lie utilities and the naturalization o1
basic natural resources and wate1
power. >, =,
To lower the cost Of living it ad
vocates the development Of co-opera
ton, the elimination Of wastefu
methods, parasitical middlemen ane
all profiteering in the products Of in
dustry and agriculture, "in order tha'
the actual producers may enjoy TN
fruits Of their toll" To do away witt
unemployment during periods OF de-
preston. the platform recommend:
establishment Of government wori
on housing, road building, reforestra
tion, reclamation Of cut-over ant
swamp land and development OF Wa
terpower plants" The labor laws ask
ed are largely the same as those pass
ed by the last North Dakota legisla
ture. !,
Following the adoption Of the lea
que plan, Walter w. Liggett, Man
aper Of the Publishers National Ser
vice Bureau, was quoted by the dali,
papers rs follows: -,
"The Minnesota Federation OF Ia
bor has taken the initial step towart
combining forces with the farmer, u
it's conference at New Ulm the con
vention voted to cooperate with I'M
National Nonpartisan League, form
ed a political body Of its own" sait
Liggett.s : ''That is the way the new
political revolution will be accomplish
ed. The various labor and farmer Or
ganizations will not lose their lnd1
yiduality through this affiliation. =
merely means the co-opera1lon 9. IN. ~
working people to one eno--poltlSs
and industrial freedom"
.THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS