Regulation of Land Ownership: Encouragement and assistance toward development of farming, and heavy taxes on non-producing lands, are advocated. Federal and State Regulation of Corporations: Abuses by corporations should be prevented by legislation limiting their powers and activities, including federal licensing and control over stock and bond issue, with examination of accounts. Freedom of Expression and Association: All restrictions should be completely removed. Workmen's Compensation: It should be extended. Immigration: It should be limited by two principles; The country's power of assimilation, and the extent of unemployment. Taxation: "Taxation should rest as lightly as possible upon constructive enterprises." Taxes on incomes, inheritances, and unused land should be increased. Education: Opportunities for education should be greatly extended. Industrial education "should have for its purpose not so much training for efficiency in industry as training for life in industrial society." The workers must be represented in boards of education. Teachers must have the right to organize. Private Employment Agencies: These must be abolished. Housing: Ownership of decent homes is a large element in promoting industrial peace. Militarism: Unalterable opposition to a standing army is expressed. The use of the militia in industrial disputes is opposed. It should be organized on democratic principles. The right of all to bear arms should remain inviolate. Soldiers and Sailors: Governmental assistance in cooperation with trade unions should be given toward placing the discharged men. Conclusion: Organization under the American Federation of Labor banner is the worker's best measure for the improvement of his conditions. Programmes of Subsidiary Bodies Ohio State Federation of Labor1 General Principles: Industrial democracy as well as political is the demand of an awaked social consciousness. Natural resources must be freed to accelerate production. 1. Taxation of the speculative value of land, and reclamation of deserts and swamps, to remain in the public with renewable leases for productive purposes. 2. Government ownership and operation of railways, telegraph and telephone, with reimbursement to the owners on the basis of physical value at the time of acquisition. 3. Government ownership and operation of merchant marine, ocean, lake, and river traffic and docking facilities included. Coal and other mines, oil and gas wells and pipe lines to be taken over by the government. 4. Revocation of all grants of water rights to private enterprise. Government development of light, power and heat plants. 5. Public road building to prevent unemployment. 6. Reforestation by lumbering companies. 7. Municipal “home rule" of municipal enterprises, as light, fuel, and food supply, housing facilities, education and recreation. 8. Standard eight hour day, with seven or six hour day at full rate where unemployment exists. 9. To obtain a wage based upon a proper living standard, a democratic board representing employers and employed should determine this wage on the following principles: a. Mimimum wage based on living standard for family of five. b. Maximum return on capital invested of 6%. c. Surplus to go to workers. Appeal to a National Board: 10. Unemployment benefits of 50% their wage to be paid to soldiers and civilians involuntarily idle. 11. Old age pensions, and insurance against sickness and accident, with free medical attendance. New York State Federation of Labor Reconstruction Plan 2 1. International Relations: Recommendation of labor standards, involving prohibition of child labor. Recognition of labor's right to organize, and increased educational opportunities. 2. Demobilization and elimination of unemployment. State and federal employment service and revolving funds for transportation to jobs. 3. Wages and conditions of work: Standard of pay the family living wage. Increase of sub-standard wages. Revolving funds for home building. 4. Reduction of the work day: Eight hour day, six day week with Saturday half holiday. Prohibition of night work for women and children. 1 Adopted October, 1918. Printed in Cleveland Federationist, Oct. 24, '18. 'Presented Jan. 16, 1918, to Conference of Representatives of the Unions of the State, and unanimously adopted. 5. Abolition of child labor under 16, and 24 hour week for those under 18. 6. Vote and voice in industry: "Our political democracy becomes a travesty when it is accomplished by industrial autocracy." Right to organize, representation by unions, and shop committees. Representation on all governmental appointive boards. 7. Extension of social insurance. 8. Labor adjustment board: Continuance of war labor board for demobilization emergency. 9. No military establishment legislation. 10. Restoration and expansion of civil liberties. Restoration of free speech, press, and assemblage. Women's suffrage, direct election and recall of all officials. Abolition of court's power to declare law unconstitutional. 11. Payment of war debt by taxation on aggregated wealth, large incomes, net profits, inheritances and land values. No indirect taxation. 12. Rural development. Public food markets, highways, experimental farms, and farm bank and loan system. 13. Public ownership of public utilities. Government ownership of telephone and telegraph lines, and of power, light, and heat plants. Government control and operation of railroads, express companies, and merchant marine. 14. Education. Free schools, books, and noon-day meals for children. Opening of educational opportunities to all. Reconstruction Programme of Washington State Federation of Labor' The end of the great world war has clearly convinced the masses of the people generally, and the workers particularly, of the need of reconstructing the whole social and industrial fabric. In the progress of mankind toward a higher civilization, and in order to abolish war and exploitation, with all its horrors, it becomes necessary to recognize certain fundamental truths and principles, of which the following are self-evident: The resources of the earth and improved methods of production, since man first kept a slave, because he could reap surplus value from his labor, now make it easy to provide all the comforts of life for the human race. A struggle is going on between the oppressors and the oppressed of all countries, a struggle between the exploiters and the exploited, which grows in intensity from year to year, and will work disastrous results, unless means are found for removing its cause, the exploitation of the producers for the benefit of the non-producers and the parasitic rich. This struggle will be further intensified by the war, unless the rights of the majority, the workers, be respected, and a new ideal in government be established, based on the following principles: (a) The earth belongs to the people thereof, and therefore cannot belong to any individual, group or corporation. (b) All wealth created must be brought out of the resources of the earth by the application of labor by hand or brain or both. (c) Anything of value, produced by any person rightfully belongs to that person, or the group producing the thing of value, if produced by a group in cooperation without infringing on the rights of others. Drafted and formulated by the Reconstruction Conference of the Washington State Federation of Labor, Dec. 15, 1918. (d) No one has a right to take advantage of another and to appropriate to himself the product of another's labor, either by force or legalized extortion. (e) Stolen goods, wherever found, must be restored to the individual or group that created the value and is entitled to possession. (f) The industries exist for the people, not the people for the industries of their so-called "owners." (g) Government is a human institution, established for the purposes of dispensing justice and accomplishing the greatest good for the greatest number, and should be altered as often as required or improvements are found possible. Therefore, we representatives of the producers of all wealth, the workers, urge and insist that in the reconstruction period made doubly necessary by war, the above principles and the following measures shall be applied and enacted into laws, written in simple languages that all may understand. National Legislation 1. Government ownership and democratic control and operation of natural resources and public utilities. 2. Government control of food prices. 3. Increase in wages and working standards. 4. Federal child labor law. 5. Maximum eight hour day and 44 hour week. 6. National minimum living wage. 7. Vocational training for disabled soldiers and workers. 8. Penalties for interfering with labor's right to organize. 9. Unemployment insurance; old age pensions. 10. Health, life, fire, and other insurance. 11. Public employment offices only. 12. Federal women's Suffrage. 13. Redistribution of wealth by taxation and limitation upon maximum of private ownership. 14. Direct election and recall of judges. 15. Abolition of appointive commissions, and election of similar boards. 16. Condemnation of unused lands. 17. Enforcement of seamen's law. 18. Presidential election by direct vote. 19. Repeal of all laws restricting free speech; liberation of prisoners "convicted for offenses committed in the exercise of these legitimate rights." 20. Abolishment of militarism. 21. Retention of timber industry for government use. 22. Popular legislation superior to judicial ruling on constitutionality. 23. Abolishment of private armies or guards of any sort. 24. Prevention of fraudulent advertising for strikebreakers. 25. Equality of pay for men and women; prevention of exploitation of women. 26. No oriental labor. 27. All expenses of war to be met by taxes on war profiteers. 28. Prevention of unemployment by reduction of hours per day and undertaking of public work. State 1. Industrial Insurance Act extension. 2. First aid-Elimination of joint contribution, contract, doctor and hospital. 3. Safety first law. Extension of state labor department. 5. Blanket primary law. 6. Curtailment of exercise of undue power by Supreme Court. 7. Short residence voting qualification. 8. Vocational training for injured. 9. Prohibition by law of paint spraying machine. 10. Amendment of industrial welfare law, to provide comfortable standard for minimum wage. 11. Union standards in Government reconstruction work. 12. Appointment of women to educational, penal, and industrial commissions. 13. Child maintenance act. 14. Initiative amendment to state constitution. 15. Public marketing bill. 16. Elimination of juror's property qualification. 17. State road construction to reduce highways. 18. Municipal ownership and operation of public utilities. Conclusion: Intensive organization, closer affiliation, education and reconstruction must change the unfair distribution of wealth in order to make the world safe for democracy. California At the 19th Annual Convention of the State Federation of Labor, held at San Diego last October, six resolutions on reconstruction were presented. Of these resolutions, the first called for a six hour work day, the second for the formation of a political party with principles based on the British Labour party's reconstruction programme, the third for government ownership of public utilities, the fourth for a land policy, the fifth for payment of war costs, war profits and accumulated wealth, the sixth for demobilization slow enough to prevent unemployment. As a substitute for the adoption of any or all of them, a resolution was passed providing for the appointment of a committee on reconstruction, to devise "some sane solution to maintain the equilibrium of our movement and safeguard the interests of the boys when they return from "over there." This committee presented its report addressed to the trade unionists of California, on November 18th. Its outlines are as follows: Cost of Living: "No evidence of a return of pre-war purchasing power in the dollar" justifies reductions, in wages; in fact wage standards have not generally kept pace with living costs. Demobilization Problems: National demobilization plans, and trade-union assistance to discharged men, are necessary to prevent panic. Organizing the Unorganized: Necessity for its continuing. Shorter Workday: Maximum eight hour day in all industries, and shorter day to minimize unemployment, or where eight hours is too great a strain. Co-operative Organizations: Investments in Liberty Bonds will form the basis of credit for these distributive organizations. Land Taxation: Supertax on idle land. |