The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-01-23

attention tho spirit and intent or
the Act itself, and our position In
connection herewith.
The trainers Of the Industrial
Code" Act provided that the Com
mission. to be charged with carry
ing out its intent, should be COM
posed of five members, to be ap-
pointed by the Governor, and In
tended that they should be selected
on the following basis: Two mem
bers representing Employers Of the
State two members representing
Labor of the State, and an inde-
Ipendent chairman. This intent on
their part was made clear prior to
the Introduction of the Act Of the
! Legislature. and was, in large meas
ure, responsible for its overwhelm-
ling endorsement by that body. 1t
was again called to your attention
| by some the Legislators who
framed the Act, prior to your MAX
ling your selections for the Commits
| sion.
| You chose to ignore the intent OF
the Act" in this connection, as
| well as the advice Of it's trainers
and supporters. The original Com
mission appointed by you embraced
kbut one Labor representative, Rep
resentative Fred B. Norman, OF
Raymond, a staunch Laborite and
upright citizen, and whose selection
met with the warm approval OF
| Labor The representatives of the
| Federation of Labor appeared be-
fore you and expressed their pleas
ure over the selection of Mr.. Nor
man, and asked that one more rep
lresentative of Labor be placed on
the Commission. in line with the
intent of the Act; this you declined
to do.
A ruling made later by the Attor-
Iney General to the effect that a
| Legislator could not draw salary OF
expenses other than that provided
resignation from the Commission OF
ISenator French and Representative
| Norman. This was followed later
by the resignation, for business rea
sons, of Mr.. ID. c. Botting. This
left three vacancies to be filled by
lyou on the Commission.
A committee of the Executive
Council of the Federation then call
ed on you and again asked that the
intent of the Act be observed, and
two Labor Representatives named or
the Commission; THIS YOU THEN
AGREED TO DO. During this in
| terview you suggested to PTesiden
Short of the Federation that he ac
cept appointment on the Commits
sion, but you were informed by hin
that the pressure of his other duties
would prohibit him from accepting
You then suggested that a list OF
names of Labor men be submitted
| to you for considerations; this was
done.
Several months later you an.
nounced the appointment of II. AL.
vim Moore of the Railway Engi-
lneers. and President Short of the
| Federation, neither of whom had
been included in the list of names
submitted to you at your request
and one of whom-President Short
had already informed YOU of his
inability to serve. Following Presl-
dent Shorts official notice to you
of his declination, you appointed
| T.. p. Blake, a representative of the
| ILumbermen's Association.
We offer no personal criticism
| of Mr.. Blake, nor of any of the men
chosen to serve on the Commits
sion. Our criticism is confined to
lyour evasion of the intent of the
law, your failure to make good your
Ipromise to us, and the rank injus-
| tice done the workers of the State
The hopes held out for remedial
| legislation by those sponsoring and
supporting the Bill have been blast
| ed. The onesided makeup of this
! Commission. a body which must tC
reach constructive conclusions
weigh every angle of our industrial
problems, will in the very nature OF
things preclude the impartial study
and analysis necessary to such con
i Al
any aggravating problem has ever
been reached except thru a full and
proper consideration of both sides
of the question. and that considera.
ton given it by men or women or
| both sides competent to consider it
All worthwhile industrial legisla-
ton is the outgrowth of such d
method.
The Labor Movement of the State
| is both disappointed and resentful
lat the treatment il has received in
this connection. We are rather re-
| Iluctant to offer criticism, and assure
Iyou earnestly that the role of critic
| of either yourself or any other pub
| lie official has little lure for us
| However, as American citizens in
| terested in preserving confidence in
! the institutions of Government we
cannot refrain from warning YOU
that it is Just such disregard for the
rights of Labor, as well as the spir-
lit and intent of the law itself, on
the part of some of those charged
with the administration of Govern
ment, that is weakening that conf
Idence in it, that should be the pur-
pose of every real citizen to upbuild.
Very sincerely yours,
Executive Council. Washington
State Federation of Labor,
w NJ. SHORT. President;
VIM j. COATES;
q. X. SWEENEY
| w l.. BRACKTNREED;
| w STANLEY.