The Connecticut labor press., 1921-01-08
WILL WATCH FOR
"JOKERS" In BILLS
BEFORE CONGRESS
Labor Leaders and Liberals Form
Bureau to Keep Public
Informed.

An information bureau directed an(
| financed by liberals will be established
| III Washington. 1t will seek to furnish
facts concerning pending and proposed
legislation to members of Congress, the
press and the public generally. 1t will
not be controlled by any party, any
class or any group. 1t will be concerned
with the public welfare and not with the
advantage of some special interest.
| The project was launched at an in
| formal meeting held in the board room
| IN the Machinists' building in Washing
| ton, last week. Among those who at
tended were Senators La Toilette. Nor
r1s France, and Walsh of Massachu-
setts, and Congressman Hudd1eston of
Alabama, Frear of Wisconsin, and
keller of Minnesota, together with a
number of men and women represent
ing progressive civic and labor organ
lzations.
The chiefs of the 10 railroad labor
organizations were in the city for a
conference concerning important organ
1zat1on problems and they took an active
part IN the meetings. A number of
prominent newspaper men of liberal
tendencies indicated their desire to CO.
operate.
Warren S. Stone, grand chief of the
brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
presided, and William H. Johnston,
president of the International Associa
ton of Machinists, acted as chairman
OF committee which issued a brief
statement to the press.
The conference grew out of the fact
that the leaders of the railroad labor
organizations were meeting at this time
IN Washington, to discuss various prob
lens, said Mr. Johnston, "and the time
was thought to be opportune for a gen
eral discussion of the entire legislative
situation.
I'm the course of the discussion sug-
gest1ons were made that a bureau of
Legislative information should be estab-
llshed to act with the liberal members
gest1on was emphasized by the passage
of the Poindexter BILL prohibiting
strikes in interstate commerce. because
the opponents of this measure had not
been properly warned that it was to be
taken up by the Senate"
All those who attended the confer
ence were agreed that the information
bureau, if properly directed, would
prove of tremendous value. The volume
of legislation now passing through the
House and Senate is so great that it
is impossible TOR the individual member
to keep track of it, and it is therefore
comparatively easy for the representa-
tives of special interests to put across
'jokers" of the most pernicious char
acter. A bureau, with a small but cap
able staff, could examine every bill re-
ported to each House and could keep |
members of all parties fully |
concerning dangerous pro-
Dosals. The same information could be |
to the people through that
portion of the press which is not en-
-irely under the influence of special
privilege.
Before the conference adjourned a
sufficient amount was guaranteed to in
sure the establishment of the bureau,
and a committee was appointed to take
charge of the task of selecting a staff
md supervising the work of raising
additional finances.
The committee will make a public
statement outlining the details of the
proposal in the near future, and at that
ime will make public the names of the
men and women who are sponsoring
he undertaking.