The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, December 2, 1918, Page 9

Amerlcan Federation of Labor Aims | Recent Statement of Things Organized Workers Want Shows Why Political . Union With Organized Farmers Is Natura} and Necessary Alhance (M- so NER-R-R-VOUS “’!Il?’/nh\ American Federation of Labor has just issued an up-to-date statement of some of the things it stands for. Probably no other class in America could say such a hearty amen to the planks of this platform as the organized farmers. . The program, of course, deals much with city conditions under which the farmer does not live, but there are general principles that cover both town and country. It is another proof that the in- terests of labor in the factory and on the farm are one and that the alliance between them to secure their fair share of political power, which the League. and labor has developed in the Northwest, is a natural alliance and absolutely necessary if both or either one is to succeed. - Here is what this great body of organized work- ers stands for: 1. The abolition of all forms of involuntary servi- tude except as:a punishment for crime. In many parts of the United States the peonage system, whereby exploiters hire out the poor and ignorant workers in gangs and keep them at their : tasks by force of different kinds, flourishes under a thin disguise, Tenant farmers and workers in the South are artificially kept in debt to the landowner or employer so that they can never get ahead and leave for better cond;tlons America has mgny “gtockades” in mining districts, the only law of * which is a sheriff controlled by the big company. Yes, there is ‘much involuntary servitude in free America and the federation naturally wants to put its foot on it. An injury to one is an injury to all.. “EDUCATION MUST BE IMPROVED - 2, Free schools, free text-books and compulsory edncntion. " The 700,000 men of draft age who could not read and write is an eloquent reason for this stand. Again, over half of the American people never get heyond what we call the fifth grade in our schools. Roger Babson, a great financial authority, went . out of his way a few years ago to point out that ; specfal privilege would not provide schools for the common people which would enable them to increase their prosperity, and that the people themsplyes . would have to take education into their own hands. -~ What prdm:nly people ‘call “fonr-flushmg" is’ the_ 4. A workday of not more than eight-hours in the 24-hour day. 5. A strict recognition of not over eight hours per day on all federal, state or municipal work and at not less than the prevailing per diem wage rate of the class of employment in the vicinity where the work is performed. 6. Release from ‘employment one day in seven. DIRECT LABOR AND PUBLIC OWNERSHIP 7. The abolition of the contract system on public work. The federation believes that the various govern- ment- units should build their own roads, bridges, sewers, etc., hiring the men for the work directly rather than using profiteering contractors as go- - ‘betweens. Many cities have already had great suc- cess at this. The federal government has built the Panama canal and railroads in Alaska. The big reason why it is not the universal practice is the - political power of the big contractors and their control of the press. It saves money and it pro- duces honest work for the public. 8. Municipal ownership of public utilities. 9. The abolition of the sweatshop system. In most of our big cities there are manufacturers ‘of small articles such as artificial flowers, articles of ‘clothing and fancy boxes who send the work out to the people in their homes. The pay is miser- able, the workers live in crowded quarters and the work at home crowds them: still more, and the homes are beyond the inspection of public officials. Out of such conditions come frightful poverty and disease and dangerous products for the general public. 10. Sanitary mspection of factones, workshops, - mines and homes," // 11. Liability of employers for injury. to body or & loss of life, 3 Not only: organized labor but progresswe people of all kinds have come around to the position that - the industry should bear the risk ‘of the employ- ment. The selling price of. the product should take “into account the risk under which those who pro- -duce the product are working. Otherwise some in- dustries of great hazard would continually produce a vast:amount of unsupported misery in the nation. The only way to put the risk in the selling price +“is to ‘hold the employers responsible and to have ‘definite payments for'different kinds of accidents. ‘take the proper kind of interest in accident preven- “tion. - In th e West Vlrgmmvxmnes, for mshnce. tha " lized enough to use them. The magazines and news- papers, hard up for someehmg against the workers, Sy So soon:as this is done; however, the employers will .' : %&0/’(?4 managers used to argue that they could not afford to put in certain improvements because it cost only ° $180 apiece to kill a miner occasionally. Such is " business without responsibility. 12. The nationalization of the telegraph and tele- ‘phone. 13. The passage of anti-child labor laws in states where they do not exist and rigid defense of them . where there are such laws of the right kind. 14. Woman suffrage co-equal with man suffrage. 15.. Suitable and plentiful playgrounds for chil- dren in all cities. . The people who live in the country will appre- ciate the need for such provision as this when they recall city workers do net live in detached houses as a rule, but in flats, one family above the other for five, six to 10 stories. There is no place for the children but the crowded home and the busy street. 16. The initiative and referendum and the lm- perative mandate and right of recall. BETTER HOMES FOR WORKERS 17. Continued agitation for the public bath sys- tem in all cities. The landlords who build houses to rent to work- ingmen have always figured that they could force just as much rent out of the worker for a house without a bathtub. and. that the tub would cost money. Then to justify themselves they enlarge on : the rumor that the poor do not like to bathe, but . the use of public shower baths in cities which: have provided them gives the lie to this insult. =~ A few years ago the city of Boston ordered that bathtubs be put in tenement houses, and many of the landlords, to comply with the law at least ex-' - pense, put them in the public halls where no one ' could use them for bathing without being arrested .. §/ for indecent exposure. The best people who go on. slumming expeditions found coal or ashes in some of these otherwise useless tubs, and started the rumor ° ‘that if the poor had bathtubs, they were not civi made nation-wide use'of this lying report, and lt is atxll going the rounds. -~ 18. Qualifications in permits to build in. all eitles ‘and towns that there shall be bathrooms and bath- :rodm attachments in all houses or eompufm/ it - . used for habitation, - 19, ‘We favor a system of finance whethby money e S Y