Evening star., 1923-11-25

trial Centers where the labor unions
existed.
At each of them similar petitions
/ were signed and suggestion made
at the New York meeting that a state
labor organization be formed to care
for labor'3 legislative interests at the
CAPITOL was indorsed 4 JOINT COM
mittee was organized to visit the
Capitol and see that the petitions
cached the officers Of the Senate and
assembly.
This committee was enabled later
20 report to the various centers that
senator Hastings had on April IL.
with the unanimous consent of the
! Senate. moved to ree6mmit the
amcnded b:ll from committee of the
! whole to the judiciary committee for
a public hearing. After the hearing,
when organized labor's voice was for
the first time heard in the halls Of
! the state legislature, the bill was
! pigeonholed and died In committee.
First Founded in 1865.
As result of this experience the
labor unions of the state sent dele
gates to a called convention in
first state organization Of labor
hunions was founded, under the title
of New York State Trades AS
sembly." In September OF the same
year. when the body met again to
name was changed to working
mems Assembly Of the State of New
York"
In 1898. when the state branch of
tho American Federation of Labor
was ama'gamated with the Working
mems Assembly. the title was again
| changed TO "Workinemen's Fedora
ton of the State of New York" and
at the Niagara Falls convention in
1910. when all vestiges of the knights
| of Labor. which had maintained a
form OF state organization for some
wears, had disappeared. the present
fn1
organized men and women work Sers
| of the state exclusive of the four rail-
road brotherhoods, which maintain
state legislative boards that act in
! New York State Federation of Labor
on all matters of legislation and nom
partisan political action.
Veterans Among Members.
The first state organization meet
ing, composed largely of civil war
veterans, declared the objects of the
body thus formed were: ITO agitate
such questions as may be for the
benefit of the working classes in
! order that we may obtain the enact
ment of such measures by the state
. legislature as will be beneficial to
all of us, and the repeal Of all op-
pressive laws which now exist; to
use all means consistent with honor
and integrity to so correct the abuses
| under which the working classes are
laboring as to insure TO them their
just rights and privileges; to use our
utmost endeavors to impress upon
! the various divisions of working men
the necessity of a close and thorough
| organization, and of forming them
, selves into local unions wherever
+! practicable"
/ When that declaration was made
! nearly all statute law of this state
and the common law inherited from
colonial days relating to workers was
of the disciplinary master and serv-
ant" type. In the almost sixty years
that have elapsed, almost entirely
through the efforts of this state as
| sociation of trades and labor unions,
| those undemocratic statutes and legal
precedent have been completely re-
moved and a great code of labor laws
erected with an administrative de-
partment for their enforcement.
| Sought Reform in Laws.
! From the outset the workingmen' s
assembly sought reform of the So
called conspiracy law" which ham,
pered development of labor unions,
and in 1870 secured an amendment
providing that it shall not be con-
! strued in any court of this state to
! restrict or prohibit the orderly and
peaceable assembling or corporation