davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-21
STATE FEDERATION EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING;
THE WORK OF THE ASSOCIATED INDUSTRIES

The Executive Council
and made preparation for
Meeting with the Executive Council the committees
ml outlining report and recommendations submission the
plan to organize commercial bank in Seattle be the
National Bank was brought to the attention of the Executive
and submitted
finance by those who the wealth. the Federation Council
Bank thus aid in establishing the first unit
commercial banking system for the workers and farmers the
of the Union Record and adopted resolution endorsing the and
local
and thought favorable by the department the Union
Wilson and Labor Wilson urging complete the
attack rights freedom of The Council in
the qut o I na as m Fn waIe Pa the Private Soldiers Sailors
Legion given the endorsement of the Federation
Nonparsan League for consideration and after discussing the
ean do organize workers working the
of the opinion that tho would be mistake for the Triple Alliance
xnc that the task M forward & the % @ work m into % the
the sought which the control the of by the
question organization merely means to that end Thru the
developed
harmonious relation and action for the
out of the hands of the poees and returning
to the hands of the people ~. !. -, ,,. g. =, - -, .
the State Of washington 1t is Intended use department gather
the question of living and the data will be
gather statistics on the cost of produ
@ ust what the cost living
estimated will enable labor to determine whether or
such increases and to what extent It will also
and profits This
Continued on Page Three)
The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-21
DEFENSE LEAGUE
DISSOLVES

SAN FRANCISCO, May 10, 1920.
To the labor movement and the
public at large:
Greeting: The International Work
ers' Defense League in regular meet
ing on May 8, 1920, decided to ter
inmate it's active connection with
the defense in the Mooney case, for
the reason that the coming confer
ence of union representatives with
District Attorney Brady will exhaust
the last legal avenue of appeal now
open. The league adjourned sine die
and instructed the officers to close
up the affairs of the organization.
In the future Mrs. Rena Mooney
and other relatives of Mooney and
Billings will look after the interests
of the prisoners.
With sincere appreciation of the
aid received from citizens in all
walks of life during this long fight
for simple justice, we remain,
Respectfully yours,
INTERNATIONAL WORKERS
DEFENSE LEAGUE.
E. d. Nolan, Secretary Treas.
The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-21
POWER PLANT PROPOSITION

The people of Everett are called
upon to decide whether or not the City
shall own it's own light, heat and
power plant and distributing system
and pay for the same out of the earn
ings
The Ordinance provides: That the
system shall be purchased and a
hydro-electric generating plant be con-
structed and paid for out of the earn
ings. 1t will not cost the property
owners of Everett one cent in taxation.
Much has been made by opponents
of the power plant proposition of an
exhaustive report made by the local
engineering society, and based upon a
single days examination. Can re-
port made in such short time be as
accurate as that of one made by en-
gineers of many years practical ex-
perience, and who have surveyed the
whole project, made blue prints, esti-
mates and calculations and the same
based on prices at the peak in the year
1919?
The rumor has been spread every
where, by those interested in filling
the pockets of corporations and getting
the same from the toilers of the City:
"That this is going to increase taxa
ton" Read the Ordinances and see.
They are revenue Ordinances, pure
and simple, each of them-
We recall that one, R. H. Thompson
of Seattle, told the people in the Ever
ett Theater, when the people were con-
sidering taking over the water plant,
that it could not be built for any such
figures. 1t was built and the local
system purchased and there are $75,-
900 worth of bonds that have never
been sold, notwithstanding unfore-
seen difficulties and increased labor
and material costs during the great
war;
Engineer Thompson's Special" re-
port was wrong and Burns and Nc
Donnell were right. 1t is not prob
able that the Local Engineering So
ciety has made similar blunder?
Let us see
Notice that the Local Engineering
Society says: "That it will cost mil
The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-21
THE BONDING PROPOSITIONS ARE
DISCUSSED AT LABOR COUNCIL

mates. He said the power plant
bonds would not add one cent to the
taxes as these were purely revenue
bonds, to be retired from the earn
ings of the light and power earnings.
There would be no taxes at all Mr..
Faussett said the plans will not have
been completed before there will be
a demand for more power than Ev-
erett will be able to furnish.
C, mmissioner Turner then took the
floor and told the delegates that un-
less the people take hold of affairs
politically and clean out Congress,
they were to have high prices for a
long time to come. He spoke feel
ingly of the proposition to give pre-
ference to honorably discharged SOL
diers and sailors and the wives of in
jured and disabled soldiers and sail
ors when making appointments. He
declared he would let the opinions
of Messers Clay and Faussett go for
his own in regard to the utility bonds
proposed for a city power plant and
municipal market. He jollied his
hearers with stories of pre-cold-stor-
age times when butter was high and
scarce when feed was scarce and hens
quit laying in the fall. The Muni-
cipal Market and cold storage plant
would give the farmers an opportun-
ity to store their surplus products
until markets got better. Captain
Turner said the proposition for q
mill tax levy for street lights was
fathered by the Commercial Club and
was the only proposition to be voted
on which would in any way raise the
tax burdens of the people, and it
would cost the taxpayers about $685.
600 year. He said the advocates of
this tax levy for lights were not so
enthuiastic about it now-they were
deserting their offspring. The cost
of lights now is about $4,000 per
annum. (There were men and wo-
men in that audience who could
plainly see that the opponents of the
market and power plans, on account
of "the cost to the City, at this
time" favored an expenditure of the
peoples money for garrish and
showy institution for which there is
no urgent need. And this was the
only proposition put up to the vot-
ers which would increase taxes even
one cent-Ed) The Captain touched
on the proposition to raise Commits
sioner's salaries and said that the city
paid $4,000 year to the Commits
sioners for managing all it affairs,
while one public utility, the tele-
phone system, paid three of it's Of
ficers about $4,000 year. He fur
ther said that the Municipal Market
would give the City something to
protect it's people from downright
robbery
Mayor Clay was again given the
The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-21
OUR WARTIME
PROFITEERS'
GREED RECORD

WASHINGTON, May 15.-Dur-
ing the last four years the profits
of corporations, exclusive of royal
ties, rents, excessive salaries, stock
dividends or other forms of COM
pensation, cost each family of five
in the United States total OF
$1,000
The above is one of the state
ments contained in a survey of cor
poration profiteering, during and
since the war, by w. Jett Lauck,
economist and secretary of the war
time national war labor board.
The survey is sordid tale of
greed and grab and was prepared
for the railway shop employees and
railroad brotherhoods in their wage
movement before the United States
railroad labor board.
The survey is the rsult of eight
months research and supports the
railroad employees contention that
wage increases are not responsible
for increased prices, and that each
wage advance has been an effect,
and not a cause, of soaring living
costs.
1t is shown that the combined cor
porations of the country earned in
net profits approximately $4,SOO,OOO,-
600 more pc ryear during the three
war wears, 1916-17-18, than during
the three years prior to that period
This profiteering orgy during 1916
II constituted tax of $240 year
on every family of five throughout
the nation. In the iron and steel
and coal industries $2,000,000,0O0
clear profit in excess of the pre-war
the three war years. This consti-
profit average was exacted during
tuted a tax of $40 upon every man,
woman and child in the United
States.
During the three war years the
average profits of all corporations
with net incomes of $1,000,000 or
more approximated "a per cent on
their capital stock. These increased
profits, not due to increased produc-
ton, means that these corporations,
controlling products essential to daily
life, made profits sufficient to re-
place the entire value of their cap
ital stock within period of slightly
over four years.
The disclosures do not tell the full
story of profiteering, since corpora
tions conceal the full measure of
their earnings by such devices as
excessive deductions for depletion
and depreciation, payment of ex-
cessive salaries and fictitious roy
alties and rents.
The report denies that labor costs
is the initial influence in forcing in
creases in the cost of living. 1t is
statated that wage increases have
Jagged behind price increases; that
prices were pushed up by factors
over which workers have no con-
troll; that labor as a class is now
worse off than it was before the
war; that in the distribution of
The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-21

the income of the country labor is
receiving a smaller proportion than
it did before the war, while capital
in the form of profits, interest and
rent, is receiving very much larger
proportion, and that capital is "prof-
iteering on such a scale as to men
ace the future of the country"
1t is shown that of the $3.50 in
crease in the price of a pair of
standard shoes, labor received Is
cents. Increases in the retail price
of soft coal have been four times as
great as increases in labor cost.
The survey is based on financial
statements of the corporations them
selves, federal income tax returns,
investigation of governmental bodies,
such as the tariff commission, the
federal trade commission and the
bureau of foreign and domestic com
merce,, various reports, studies and
statements by official agencies and
economists and the financial man.
uals of Poor and Moody.
'Viewed as a pure economic prop
osition in the light of economic his
tory" said Mr.. Lauck, "no sane man
can fail to realize that the present
situation in the union was threat
ened in 1860; and in the light of the
easily obtainable evidence no un-
prejudiced citizen can fail to place
the burden of the responsibility upon
the groups of capitalists and finan-
ciers who have seized upon the suf-
ferings and sacrifices of nation at
war as the means of aggrandizement
such as the world before has never
known"
The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-21
COMMISSIONERS SALARY

floor and said there were present re
presentatives of the Snohomish C0un-
ty Fruit Growers Association whom
the Commissioners would like to
hear speak.
Mr.. Adolph Heck of that Associa-
ton was then called upon to talk.
Mr.. Heck said he saw in the NUM-
cipal Market an opportunity for the
farmers to bring their products to
market to be taken by consumers to
their kitchens, thus cutting off the
toll levied on both big and middle
men. He said the market would
be credit to the City and not tax,
and would save the people a lot of
money.
Mr.. A. G. Ruff said the farmers
were ready to cooperate with the
people of the City and was anxious
to see the Market built.
Delegate Jake Michel injected a
bit of interesting history into the dis
cussion. Mr.. Michel has been a resi-
dent and taxpayer in Everett since
first election held here. He said
there was a time when the water
works could have been bought for
$4,000 and that there was only
$ 1000 put into the utility when 1t
started. The same old gang of ex-
ploiters were here that prevented the
purchase of the water works They
should be imprisoned for their acts
and if the prisons got all who ought
to be there are some of them would
have to be dug out of the graveyard
He said there was a big difference
between the way some citizens We're
treated. If some citizens had said
things said by the Commissioners to-
night they would be taken out and
whipped He warmly commended the
Commissioners. There had been an
inner circle of Government in this
city that ought to be cleaned out,
and we are going to clean them out.
Chairman f. L. Morgan of Pomona
Grange called for a talk by Mr. A. G.
Ziebell of Kellogg Marsh Grange and
got a good one.
Mr.. Ziebell strongly urged the citi-
zens of Everett TO support the NUM-
cipal Market proposition. He advo-
Gated the right of the farmers to col
lective bargaining in the sale of
their products. He favored the cold
storage feature of the Market as a
necessity. Mr.. Ziebell said if the peo-
pie of Everett turned down this NUM-
cipal Market proposition it would be
the most foolish thing they ever did.
He mentioned the Dairymen's Asso-
stations Activities and strongly con-
demned the Carnation Company's at
tempt to head off the Dairymen's Con-
densery project by floating a bond
issue of $3,O00,000 to gather in all
the surplus cash in the county, The
prospectus of this Carnation drive
said the corporation had a surplus
OF s36.000.000 If that were so why
issue bonds.
The Council unanimously endorsed
all six propositions on the ballot
and appointed a committee of fifteen
The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-21
EIGHT HOUR DAY MORE EFFICIENT
THAN 10 HOURS, SAYS [. S. REPORT

WASHINGTON, May 15.-The
eight hour day is not only more eff
ficient than the 10-hour day in in
dustrial plants, but it is more eco
nomical, is the verdict of the United
States public health service, whose
experts have made a three years
study of conditions and production
in standard factories of both classes.
The report is complete vindica-
tion of organized labor's position on
this question.
The plants surveyed were selected
after great deal of care. Each is
modern factory, employing such a
large number of workers as to make
any conclusions reached apply to
industry in general. The other con-
sideration was that the machinery,
manufactured product and processes
in the 10-hour plant should be suf-
ficiently similar to the eight-hOur
plant to make a fair comparison.
The advantages are all in favor
of eight-hour days, or shifts, as
compared with the 10-hour day, and
relate to maintenance of output, to
lost time and to industrial acci-
dents.
Here are the main conclusions
summarized:
Maintenance of output-The out
standing feature of the eight-hour
day is steady maintenance of out
put. The outstanding feature of
the 10-hour system is the decline Of
output.
Lost time-Under the eight-hour
system work with almost full power
begins and ends approximately on
schedule, and lost time is reduced
to a minimum. Under the 10-hour
The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-21
CIVIL SERVICE
EXAMINATIONS
FOR p. o. JANITOR

The United States Civil Service
Commission announces q janitor eX-
animation at Everett, Wash, to es-
tablish an eligible register from
which selections may be made to
fill vacancies as they may occur in
the position of janitor in the GUS
todian service, Everett, Wash. Sal
airy, $500 per annum.
All citizens of the United States
who meet the requirements, both
men and women, may enter this
examination; appointing officers,
however, have the legal right to
specify the sex desired in request
ing certification of ehgibles
Age limits 20 to 80 years on the
date of examination. Age limits do
not apply to persons entitled to
preference because of military or
naval service.
Information and application blank
may be obtained by applying to Sam
uel c. Philpott, local secretary,
board of civil service examiners,
Everett, Wash, to the Secretary,
11th U. S. Civil Service District, 303
Postoffice Building, Seattle, Wash.
The examination consists of filing
an application with the secretary,
18th District, Seattle, Wash, prior
to the hour of closing business on
June 2, 1920.
The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-21
DON'T
LET THEM
DOIT!

Nine years ago the Everett Trades
Council took the lead in an effort
to reduce the cost of electric lights.
That effort has been revived several
times since then.
The last renewed effort is being
made by the City Commission to
gain freedom from the extOrtiOn of
the Stone 4 Webster Co.
That company has found it pos
sible to sell Juice" to other towns
and corporations in competition with
itself. for the reason that it found
it cheaper to do this than have the
towns or corporations secure cheaper
service by serving themselves.
Now the City Commission has
placed before the people, to be voted
on next Tuesday, a proposition to
issue bonds to finance the construc-
ton and maintenance of a city
light and power plant, which will
but will, when in operation, cheaper
those necessities to the people.
The Stone & Webster Co. and its
friends" have devised a camOuflaged
estimate of the enormous cost this
building, or the taking over of the
plant will be to the city.
The enemies of Everett and friends
of Stone & Webster interests are
endeavOring to frighten the voters
of this town into voting money out
of their own pockets.
DON'T LET THEM Do 1T!
Go to the polls Tuesday and vote
FOR Proposition No. 6. Give it a
rOusing majority and you will never
have cause to regret it. This act
The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-21

A report made to and accepted by
| the Everett Chapter of the Ameri-
/ can Association of Engineers, ap-
pearing in the daily papers, was ac-
cepted by that body and given all
the publicity possible
No statement is made that the en-
gineers were employed by any cor
poration, civic body or individual to
Investigate and report, but they did
/ The report is very misleading in
that it infers that the issuance of
bonds for building and operating a
light and power plant by the city
would increase taxes.
In this is clearly discerned the fine
hand of the Stone & Webster Com
pany, who, of course, do not want
! the city of Everett to go into the
light and power business.
In fine, the engineers figures
show that the cost to this city would
be little more than $2,O00,000, the
amount of the bond issue proposed.
They say it would cost $1,500,000
| more.
The first thing to consider in
answering the report of the Engi-
neering Socety is to take into cOnsid-
Grafton Cd that the ordinance en-
powering the City Commissioners
does not increase taxes
2. That it involves as its pri-
mary action the requirement of a
distributing plant, and any source of
energy that the Commissioners may
find best suited, as, the continued
use of Stone-Webster energy; or the
installing of a plant for producing
energy from waste wood products,
such as are burned in enormous
quantities here in the mills, and
which energy can be produced so as
to market at greatly reduced price
under what we are now paying for
light and power, or acquired energy
from the City of Seattle; or, ,tstly,
by the installation of some power
production plant on the Sultan which
is entirely covered by the words, if
they deem advisable" which pre-
cede all of the sections of the Ordi-
nance, which have to do with the
development of the Sultan River
project
The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-21

Wednesday, May 10, 1920
President Goldthorpe called the
council to order at s p. m. Delegate
Tollifson was appointed Reading
Clerk.
Johnston and j. r. Gordon of the
Laundry Workers and the delegates
accepted and seated.
The minutes of the Seattle and
Tacoma Central Labor Councils were
read and ordered filed.
Bonding Propositions
Mayor Clay was present on invita-
tion and was given the floor to speak
on the City's light and Power bond
ing proposition which will be sub
mitted to a vote of the people next
Tuesday, May 25. The Mayor handl-
ed the report of the American Associ-
alton of Engineers in a calm and ar
gumentative strain which carried
conviction to his hearers. He mar
rated the story of the inception of the
City Waterworks project and the op-
position by the same element which
is trying it's best to kill the Power
plant project. Engineer R. H.
Thompson estimated that the cost of
the Water Works pipe line would be
$4,000 nothing less, while Burns
e Mcdonald, consulting engineers,
operating in about all the States of
the Union, estimated the cost of the
work would fall within 100000,
the amount of the bond issue submit
ted by the City Commission. Burns
e Mcdonald were right. These en-
gineers are familiar with this coun-
try and in answer to a telegram
sent them wired the following an
swer.
Kansas City, Mo-, May 10, 1920
Hon w. H. Clay, Mayor.
Everett, Wash.
Answer request for revised esti-
mates. After checking and securing
new quotations Il find estimate of
September, 1919, correct. Those es-
Inmates anticipated increases. De-
cline in prices is now occurring say
twenty-five large dealers, Twenty or
thirty per cent yesterday. Leading
manufacturers of electrical equip
ment, such as required for Everett
power project, laid off three thous-
and men today on account of can
collation. of orders. Financial and
industrial authorities are positive
that prices will continue to decline.
The city can safely rely on secur-
ing bids within estimates by the
time plans can be completed.
BURNS & MCDONALD
City Attorney Faussett was then
introduced. He laid bare the objects
of the interests which oppose the
power plant proposition. He reiter-
ated the controversy over the Thomp-
son and the Burns & Mcdonald esti-
The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-21
LABEL LEAGUE

The women's Card and Label
League will meet at the Labor
Temple Monday, May 80, at 8 p,
m. Members are requested to bring
one non-member or more with them
to this meeting.
The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-21
ARE YOU GOING TOVOTE ON MAY 25?

hon dollars to take over the present
distributing system" If all. of its
figures are as correct as these the fol-
lowing facts will show that it will
cost considerably less than $2,000,000
to take over the system and build the
Sultan River power line and plant.
The assessed valuation of the Ever
ett Railway, Light & Power Company
for the year 1919 is 1885, or about
one-sixth of what the Engineering So
ciety says the distributing system will
cost. Have they made one-sixth of a
guess on all of the rest of their fig
ures?
The true valuation of the Everett
Railway, Light & Power Company, as
appraised by the Public Service Com
mission, is $500,58158.
The net earnings of the Everett
Railway, Light & Power Company for
the year 1913 were 1879 per cent on
the valuatnon found by the Public
Service Commission.
THE MUNICIPAL MARKET
PROPOSITION
Not tax proposition
Bonds issued on market house
revenue
Costs 100000 to build and equip.
The little municipal market on Lom-
bard Avenue is helping to keep down
meat prices.
A big city market will do the same
for vegetables and other foodstuffs.
From producer to consumer.
Helps to smash the "wholesale
ring"
That is driving homegrown prod
ucts into the Seattle market.
Vote for it and save money
COMMISSIONERS SALARY
The City Commissioners are on the
job 365 days year.
They are paid at the rate of $3.50
per day.
Laborers in the mills are paid at the
rate of $3.50 per day.
The City Commissioners each must
put up $4,000 bonds
The new charter amendment pro-
vides raise for them.