The labor world. [volume], December 16, 1922, Image 1

About The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current

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KNOWLEDGE IS MANKINDSGreateU
Benefactor False Teaching Is Civiliza­
tion's Greatest Handicap,
VOL. 30. NO. 16.
The fight against the ship'sub
sldy is- concentrating* in the senate.
Labor is turning all its guns agaiAst
the measure. Protests are coming
into Washington from heads of
trades unions and they were this
week presented .to the senate.
IT. S. Against Subsidy.
J. L. Cpulter, secretary of "the In­
ternational Association of Oil Field,
G-as Well and Refinery Workers of
America sent in th« following:
"President Harding and his col­
leagues plainly see from the reflec­
tion in the mirror of our last gen­
eral election that the people of the
United States do not want such a
law enacted. Therefore the reason
for calling a special session of con­
gress to arbitrarily force this bill
through, if possible, before the Wall
Street puppets must relinquish tHeir
seats to their progressive successors.
The people of the United States do
not want individual, group or class
legislation, and every effort should
be put forth to prevent such being
arbitrarily forced upon them.
"The Amef ?can.pepole to an sjcigijt
are losing confidence in fconstitu
tional government as maneuvered as
it has been by Bij Business, and
such legislation as proposed by. our
president in the ship subsidy bill
only adds fuel to the revolutionary
propaganda thft is already falling
on attentive ears."
A Cost-Plus Plan.
G. W. Perkins, president ^Gf the
International. Cigarmakers' union,
declares the proposal a coat plus
plan and is uneconomic and un­
sound. He protested as follows:
"If we subsidize the so-called ship
marine for the purpose as stated, of
enabling our ships to compete with
the ships of foreign nations, the for­
eign nations would'immediately sub­
sidize their ship owners, reduce
wages or otherwise cheapen the cost
of shipping by water. We, in that
event, being bound by a twenty-year
contract on the cost plus plan,
would have to increase our subsidy
to the American ships. Such a sys­
tem leads nowhere, except to piling
up taxes on the innocent, burden
bearing masses.
"Some are bold enough to say
that the question of subsidizing our
ships originated in foreign countries.
The idea is that if America subsi­
dizes its ships it would give these
foreign ship owners an excuse to go
to their own government and de­
mand an equal subsidy for their
ships.
"The whole system of subsidizing
or anything else is economically and
(financially unsound and pernicious­
ly vicious and should under no cir­
cumstances be tolerated."
Repeal Impossible.
"It is a 'steal' and should be beat
n," says J. J. Hanley, secretary of
he Wisconsin State Federatidn of
Labor. He put in this protest:
The ship subsidy "steal,'' known
as a bill now before congress, is a
most brazen attempt to fleece the
Amerig^n people. It means selling
the government-owned ships to a
monopoly at 10 per cent on the dol­
lar and then pay a subsidy^of $75,
000,000 a year to operate them.
Their attempt to hoodwink the peo
le of the Northwest by attaching
amendment purporting to favor
the deep water-power interest, pur
rting to favor thv deep water-way
plan from the Great Lakes to th£
Gulf should not. b? tolerated. Labor
would not feel so keen about this
legislation were it possible to repeal
the law after this session, when the
people would have realized what had
happened, but because of the con­
tracts it carries, Its repeal will %be
Impossible for "many years.
Organized labor of Wisconsin is
opposed to the ship subsidy, and
W^rns against any scheme in putting
it across, be it the d6ep water-way
of anything else, because it practic­
ally gives to a private shipping mo­
nopoly our gover'nmeift's ships and
t]i»Jt requires onr government (the
jpeople) to pay an enormous sum
t,o this private ship monopoly for op­
erating
Public Must Pay.
•"The' transfer of ships j^nd ship­
ping from government t6 private in-'
terestfft"will yjt
INTO FIGHT TO DEFEAT SUBSIDY
Union Officials Call on Senate to Veto Plan to Loot
President Would Strike Out Important Amendment.
Washington, Dec. 14.— Special to The Labor World from
the International Labor News Service.)—Admiral Harding, Capt.
"Kidd" Lasker and their mates sailed their ship subsidy through
the House of Representatives shallows with more or less succesp,
but they collected so many barnaclcs that the piratical crew is hard
at work repairing the hull in preparation for the senate storm and
plotting their voyage so as to circumvent, if possible, the Progres­
sive men-of-waT who are intent upon sending .the skujj and'bones
of Davy Jones* locker. Senator La Follette will lead, the fight
against the big treasujy loot.
Against 20-Year Contract.
President Harding is intent upon
eliminating: the Madden amendment
which was fastened on in the house
and which provides foi* annual ap­
propriations for ship subsidy. The
administration measure permitted
the subsidies, their subsidiaries, and*
beneficiaries to feed indefinitely at
the U. S. treasury trough without
future supervision by congrcss. The
proponents of the bill know that
congress would repudiate the 'scheme
after a year's trial: and they want
nobody to interfere with their little
grame.
t,remove
the burden
HCohtjjhGed Oil? p*ige 2)
H1*'-
STRENGTH
Treasury
CONVENTION OF
FARMER-LABOR
PARTY PLANNED
Central Committee Wants Par­
ley Held in Twin Cities.
St. Paul, Dec. 14.—A state con­
vention of the Farmers' Nonpartisan
league and the Working People's
Political league, to be held in the
Twin Cities in January, was urged at
a meeting of the state central com­
mittee of the farmer-labor party
Saturday afternoon in the office of
F. A. Pike, state chairman, St. Paul.
This action was taken after con­
siderable discussion in which Will­
iam Mahoney of St. Paul expressed
himself in favor of tha organization
of the farmer-labor party on a dues
paying basis. The final action taken
by the committee instructed the
chairman to confer with members
of the state committees of the farm­
ers' league and the working people's
league and urge that state conven­
tions of their respective organizations
be called to be held in the Twin
Cities in January tQ effect a closer
affiliation with the farmer-labor
party.
After -declining to send' delegates
to the national conference of .pro­
gressives being held in Cleveland this
week tho committee indorsed the ac­
tion of Chairman Pike in sending a
letter to the conference outlining the
position of the farmer-labor party
of Minnesota. The letter gave a brief
history of the organization of the
farmer-labor party of Minnesota! and
expressed the hope that the national
conference would adopt a policy that
would make it possible for co-oper
ation wtth Jhe Minnesota organiza­
tion. No mention was made,in the
letter of the organization of a na­
tional third party.
EVICTEOlNERS
AT WHITE HOUSE
Tell President Harding Story
of Their Hardship.
Representatives of evicted coal
miners in the Somerset county (Pa.)
field are in Washington to see Presi­
dent Harding. They called at the
capitol, where lawmakers assured
them that ,in case the president
failed to act resolutions will be in­
troduced in congress caUing on the
administration to sponsor a settle­
ment conference. The miners say
that from 40,000 to 50,000 men are
still on strike, including fellow work­
ers in the Somerset fields.
"The companies which are evict­
ing miners the worst and hounding
them with armed guards have their
headquarters in Pittsburgh. A direct­
or of one of these companies is R.
B. Mellon, brother of the secretary,
of the treasury. These companies
privately say that their policy of
attempting to break, up the miners'
organizations has the support of the
Washington administration. We want,
to ask President Harding about that.
"In Somerset over 1,200 families
have !been evicted and we have re­
cently rhoved the last of them from
tent colonies into winter barracks.
These men merely ^want the same
conditions that 500,000 union min­
ers in the country-got last August."
Among the companies that are re­
sisting a settlement fs the consoli­
dation coal company, in which the
Rockefeller family is interested. Re­
cently John D. Rockefeller, Jr., pu»
licly stated that "the underlying
grievances' t)f the miners are *ell
founded," but he 'couljl do nothing
as he is "a small stockholder."
Rockefeller is on the company's
board of directors.
NEW TEXTILE COMBINE.
The woolen trust, known as the
American "woolen: company, and the
biggest distributor of cotton textiles,
known as the consolidated textile
corporation, are getting together.
The official announcement defies
that the combine is a trust, but tlrat
the relations are. "only jpersonaV
and that they have directors, in com­
mon.
NEGRO SUPPORT
ON RACE ISSUt
Third International Decides to
Concentrate on II. S.
The Third International at Mos­
cow has adopted a resolution declar­
ing that the United States is des­
tined to play an important part in
the struggle of the African race for
liberty and that inasmuch as Amer­
ica today is the center of the Negro
culture of the .world, it is in that
country that the Communist cam­
paign to bring freedom to' the Ne­
groes of all countries shorild be con­
centrated.
The resolution was drawn up by
a special commission, of the' Inter­
national appointed to consider the
Negro question. One m'^nber of the
commission was an "American Negro
who has been very active in cham
pioning the cause of Ms race. He
has beeri'aided by several whites in
the United States.
The resolution, which was adopted
without a dissenting vote, declares
that the Ne^ro question has become
a live issue in connection with ef­
forts toward a world revolution and
that the communist International
recognizing it as such, coils atten­
tion to- it as a problem which must
be dealt with.
The resolution pledges the mem­
bers of the International to strive
for the equality of negroes and
whites and for the full political and
social freedom of the African race.
"The ftommunists will use all their
power and influence with^ trade
unions," the resolutioh continues, "to
admif^Negroes as members, and if
necessary the Internationals will un­
dertake a special campaign to
achieve this aim. If these* efforts
fail, the Internationalists will organ­
ize special Negro unions to further
the cause."
Detailing the history of Negroes in
the United States, the.resolution as­
serts that the Civil war, was merely
a struggle between the capitalists of
the north and south for domination.
Ruling Reduces
Chicago, Dec. 14.—At the request
of ithe railroads the United States
railroqii labor board has handed
down a decision cutting off about
$1,500,000 a year from the pay of
telegraphers on 14 western railroads.
The decision was accomp&nted*»by
a dissenting opinion by O. A. Whar­
ton, labor member of the board, in
which he favored distributing the
aggregate amount of the wages in
dispute among the employes in suck
a way as to eliminate inequalities^
Accompanying^ the decision was a*
resolution interpreted in railroad
circles as marking the end to wage
reductions for railroad employes un­
til' there is an appreciable change
in economic conditions. The roads
effected by the decision aref^Chlca
go & Northwestern, Chicago, Burl­
ington & Quincy, Chicago, Milwau­
kee &. St. Paul, Chicago, Rock Isl­
and & Pacific, Chicago, St. Paul,
Minneapolis & Omaha, Great North­
ern, Illinois Central, Minneapolis &
St. Louis, ftfinneapolis, St. Paul &
Sault Ste. Marie, Northern- Pacific
and Southern Pacific.
WANT ANTI-UNION SHOP.
The Dannenbaum cloak company
of Baltimore locked out its union
garment workers and established the
anti-union shop. Now it has a fight
on its H&nds.
International Labdr News Service.
Washington, D. C., Dec. i.4.-^Wil
lie Lyons, an elevator operator in the
Congress hotel in this city,T^as been
the means of bringing forth some
of the strangest reasoning that ever
issued from a court!
Miss Lyons was operating an ele
vator at a wage of $35 per month
and two meals per day when the
Minimum Wage Board issued a® or­
der forbidding hotel keepers to em­
ploy w.omen or minor girls at a rate
of wages of less than 34cents per
hour, $16.50 per week, o^ $71.50 per
month. After Having gone through
the-supreme court of the District of
(Columbia, the- case finally came to
the court of apgeals where it was
.decided by a 2 to 1 decision, Justice
Van O.rsdel delivering the. majority
opini6n with Chief Justice Smyth
dissenting.
Because the case is ah attack on
minimum wage legislation for wo­
men and because the city of Wash­
ington, wh.ere the legislation at pres­
ent in question applies, is under the
control of the United States con­
gress, the case ft of decidedly na­
tional: in tertest. Foj: the first time
an Aiherican uourf
iHta*
#whole
4&jjLred- .lh
so many words that ks between the
protection of life, liberty, and prop­
erty "the chief of th^se is property.'!
AMERICAN LABOR WILL NOT Bti OUTLAWED OR ENSLAVED
DULUTH, ^V"NESOTA, DEC. 16, 1922.
Have Its Own Sweet Way
"The object of the secretary of the
treasury in opening this field anMn
requiring the pipe line may have
been to produce competition if SO,
he has accomplished no more than
the dog that bays the moon," says
Mr. Bell.
"'The Standard Oil interests had-in
view exactly an opposite purpose,
which was to absolutely eliminate
any chance to competition. Aside
from the Naval Reserve, Standard
Oil, through the Midwest Refining
company and the Ohio Oil company,:
controls practically every acre
known valuable oil land in Wyoming.
If the reserve had gone to an inde­
pendent, there might have been com­
petition but with this field in the
hands of ^another member of- the
Standard group, there is no danger.
"If the pipe line is -constructed in
accordance with the terms of the
lease, it will' not serve the purpose,
intended, 'because it will' not have
sufficient capacity It is hot required
until 20,00& barrels daily, production
has been developed on the Naval Re­
serve. The government, royalties from,
the Salt Creek field, if the wells were
operated to capacity, would amount
to 25,000 barrels per day, and more
than ope hundred new wells are be­
ing drilled. Such a' line would not
carry more than half the oil to be
transported. The government, there­
fore, will not be in a position to de­
mand its Salt Creek royalties in kind
(if it il not* satisfied with Salt Creek
prices) and transport them through
this line to other markets and at the
same time leave room. for the oil
from the reserve.
''The
proposition i« a nasty
mes3 and in such *hape that these
oil.companies wfll Just US# their"owh
sweet will about anything they please
to do or not toThey will get tho
off and the' contln&e
to get 'skinned.'
"Undoubtedly the profit on the en­
terprise soon will net the lessee a
sufficient stim to build such a pipe
line.
"Permit us to suggest what might
have been done, if the government
desired\a pipe line from the Wyom-r
WOll WILL HEAD LEGAL
BUREAU OF INFORMATION
Washington, D. C., Dec. 14.—Mat-
thew Woll, vice president of the Ai.
F. of L. and president of. the Inter­
national Photo Engravers' union, has
been, chosen director of the new A.
F. of L. Legal Information bureau.
The Cincinnati convention directed
the executive council to create sucli
a bureau.
Director Woll announces th^t he
hopes soon to haye the bureau func­
tioning. He believes it should be
made clear, however, that the bu­
reau is not to furnish counsel in any
case, but that it is to serve as a clear­
ing house for information relating
to law and to legal contests Involv­
ing labor's interests.
SCIENCE WARS ON DUST.
The United States bureau of mines
and ihe public health service are
.conducting studies on dust in mine
and factory air for the purpose of
combatting pulmonary disease. A
new instrument for samping aerial
dust has been devised by Leonard
Greenburg, assistant sanitary engi­
neer, retired, United States health
service, and George W. Smith, jun­
ior physical chemist of the bureau
of mines.
„ConcludesBell,
The Teapot Dome oil lease deal is a nasty mess and in such
shape that these oil cohipaiifee will just' use their own sweet will
about anything, they please to do or not to do. They1 will get the
oil and the government will Continue to get skinned,'' concludes
Robert C. Bell, formerly a**&*nt to, the attorney general in the
Wyoming oil land lease cas«t in his^summing up the case for
the International Labor Newa»SeirVice.
ing fields to eastern markets and
wanted to catch thei alleged drainage
from the Naval,, Reserve. The Salt
Creek: field covers 15,000 acres the
government's royalties now would
amount to 25,000 barrels daily if the
wells were operate^ to capacity
more than 100\new wells -are being
drilled at this time 'the field is not
one-third drilled and it &' believed
that large quantities, of oil will be
produced in this field for at least a
quarter /of a century. The govern­
ment has a right to demand its rojre­
alties in kind, which, with the oi|£
from, a row of offset, wells.along the.
northwestern end of the reserve,
would be enough to justify the build­
ing of refinery in Wyoming, or a
pipe line from the field to' connect
with pipe lines to the east
"An offer by. the government to
deliver its available'supply of oil, at
Mid-Continent market prices* to a
refinery or a pipe line company,
would have been ample inducement
to many responsible concerns to have
QBgaged in such an undertaking. The
government has a great asset in its
royalty oil a* was in a position to
drive a real bargain.
"Had a contract of this character
been made with a purely independent'
company, the Naval. Reserve would
have bein saved and conserved to
future generations there would have
beensome actual competition in the
Wyoming fields the government
perhaps would have received Mid
Continent prices for its royalties and
would not have heen trading crude
worth j|2.50 "for fuel worth 6 3c the
Standard Oil. interests would not
have had a complete monopoly on
every hrahch of the oil industry ini
Wyoming, but independents, would
have had a chance neither 'Would
Sinclair havehad a monopoly on the
^privilege of building stgragejaiid fur­
nishing the navy, fuel oil,. kgrpaettia^
£a*oline, lubricants, et#'- ^urtherr
more,, such a contract, would have
been a credit to the administration
and an honor to the secretary of the
interior and the secretary of the' navy
ahd not a shameful disgrace as is the
deal which has been made.' 'It might
have been.'"
NO RBHITABLE ENGINEERS
Trade union opposition to. the
long work day has recently secured
many recruits among metallurgical
engineers: Dean Mortimer E. Coo
ley of the University of Michigan,
said, this opposition, refresented "a
tendency prevailing throughout the
world," and that the\United States
is falling in line with Europe and
Asia.
Several notable .engineers have de­
clared for the eight-hour system.
No reputable engineer how stands
for the long work day. They say
the advantages of the eight-hour
day compensate for any apparent
extra' cost.
HOW LABOR BENEFITS.
"I would like to know if. seamen
will get the benefit of this ship sub-,
sidy, bill in the same way pottery,
workers who are now on strike are
getting the benefit of the Fordney
McCumber tariff bill?" asked Con­
gressman Crisp on the floor of the
house.
Mr. Crisp showed that the tariff
bill raised pottery rates from 30 per
cent to 60 per cent, yet the, workers
in that industry were forced o'n
strike to resist a wage. put.
UFE, LIBERTY AND PROPERTY, AM CHIEF OF THESE IS PR0PE8TY. SAYS OOIRT
While the decision was l/anded
down on Nov. 6 complete copies have
just been made available and those
who have thus far read the ma­
jority opinion are amazed-at the po­
sition taken by the court The de­
cision states, impressively as might
be expected, "the, sacredness of the
right of the citizen to freely contract
his labor" and in that connection
several court decisions are cited, jn
ciuding a decision written by Justices
Harlan of the United States supreme
court.
The reasoning of the court, of .ap­
peals in this case' is well illustrated
by the following paragraph from the
decision:
"We -/are of the opinion that" the
act cannot be upheld-^upon the theory
that the contracting for" labor be­
tween private Individuals Ms a busi­
ness impressed'with a public Inter­
est. Unlike tfye operation of fin ele­
vator to handle indiscriminately the
grain of the pubUc, and t|ie rates* to
be charged for such service (Muon
vs. Illinois, .94. U. 8., 118), or the
trust relation arising from the de­
positing of funds In- banks, (Noble
State Bank vs. Haskell, 219 U. S„
104), or the rates to be charged the
public by insurance companies /Ger-
deallng with a private business, con­
ducted between private individuals,
in which the public? has' no. direct
economic interest.- it follows, there^
fore, that if the dcAtrine of" 'public
interest' is to be extended. to the
point of fixing by law the drate it
which the individual citizen' may con­
tract his labor, by placing a limi­
tation upon the freedom.' of private
contract between employer and em­
ploye, It is difficult to understand
just where the limitations of. the ex­
tension of police jiower may be
reached. It amounts to converting
the police power into a convenient
experimental agency for distinguish^
ing, extending or Abrogating express
limitations of the Constitution."
The court coiild hot forego the op­
portunity to indulge in a bit of phil­
osophical' dissertation and as a' re­
sult we find the following in the, de­
cision:/
"Coming now to the consideration
of the vindication of the act as a
proper exercise. of the police', power,
we, are of the opinion, that it can
not be upheld. High wagef do not
necessarily tend to good morals, or
.the promotion of the general*# wel^
fare. Th« s^ndi*4
... of virtue and
among the
man Ailtence Insurance Cmnpany vs, |ttuisiieVdU)i than aniiong the poor.
Kansa*,5M U. S., 389K &**** btre lllxdr worgi caB n^t be measured.liT
•Vr
12-HOUR SHIFTS
Must Give Way to New.
The 12-hour, workday has outlived
its usefulness and could be elimin­
ated
vwithoVit
either economic or fi­
nancial disturbance to,*the progress
of Amcrftan industry," President
Harding declares in a st^fement in­
corporated as part of the Federated
American Engineering Societies' re­
port. just made public.
The statement Comments oh the
report of a Committee q|!.,$he organ­
ization of more-than forty "continu­
ous industries, including steel and
iron, in which the engineers conclud-.
ed 1
si-hour day was not an. eco­
nomic .-^necessity. The? 'president's
statement follows:
'It is-a matter of very much grati­
fication! to me that- the Federated
American Engineering Societies, our
foremost organisation of American
industrial skill,, should have given
two years of diligent inquiry, under
coxnpewnt experts, to a subject
which 14 of very deep interest to
me, and important to the country,
"I rejoice to note the conclusions
of this rgreat body of experts are
identical with those which I have'
reached from a purely social view­
point. It has seemed to me for
"a long
time, that the 12-rhour" day and the
type of worker it produces have out­
lived their, usefulness and their part
in American life in the-, interests of
good citizenship, of good business,
and of economic stability. The old
order of the 12-hour day must give
way to a better and- wiser form of
organization for" the productive
forces of the Nation, so that proper
family life ahd citizenship may be
enjoyed suitably by all of our people.
"This clear and convincing report
of the engineers must prove exceed
injgly helpful in showing that this
much-to-be-desired' result, can be
achieved without either economic or
financial disturbance to the. progress
of American-industry."
State Federation
Several weeks ago the state fed­
eration of labb'r telegraphed a re-?
Quest to: :the interstate. commerce
commission that unsafe railroad
equipment operating out of the
Everett yards.be.Inspects^ The com­
mission replied that inspectors were
being ordered to Everett at the ear­
liest. possible opportunity.
Shortly, afterwards a wreck oc­
curred north of Everett, qn the Great
Northern //ailroad, in which three
lives were lo'sit. Officers of the state
federatlo^- pf laJor agaift called the
c.ommissions fatten tipnv to conditions
that maOti travel unsafe and the
need to"compel the Great' Northern,
Northern Pacific, and other roads
operatirig out of Everett to comply
with safety Jaws and rules.
The unionist? suggested to the
commission, that the law might be
enforced "against these roads, in view
of tlte claim by public officials that
the interests of the public are para­
mount to all other interests. The
commission was also reminded that
the administration attempted to
compel^ labor employed on the roads
to accept. wages'* and conditions.
URGE FIRE PROTECTION".
A ^survey of -all laws for ~the pro­
tection i6f life and property against
fire Wasp agreed to at a conference
of labor, civic and industrial organ­
ization sin New York.
dollars and cents, ar promoted by a.
legal subsidy. ,Never have wages
beeni.se high as since the outbreak
of the late war, and never in the
history of the republic has crime
been souiniversal and this condition,
it must be conceded, has made a
like unfavorable iotpression upon
the morals of thte people." A wage
based upon compietitive ability Is
just, and leads to frugality and hon­
est, industry, and inspires an- ambi­
tion to attain the Jiighest possible
efficiency, while the equal wage
paralyzes, ambition and promotes
prodigality and Indolence. It takes
away the strongest Incentive to hu­
man labor, thrift and efficiency, and
work# injustice to employe.and em
tloyeir alike, thus affecting injuri­
ously the whole social' and lndus
trial^'ftebric. Experience has demon
stfat^i that a fixed minimum -ifragte
meAns, in the last analysis, a. fixed
wagers since the employer, being
compelled to advance "some to a wage
higher than their- earning', capacity,
equalize th$ cosjt of opera
tMn, fewjBir
ither
jllgkt4qn P%
wage of .the more
cpjriftfnt tp^he common- basis." •.
i"TWr#iit^toeil(t-- bit' of express ton in
the ^entlrel ide^ision, however, Is
found iit- ihe cjouift'^ triumphant vin-
supremacy of prbp-
(poQtiniicd on ^age
-i*
mm
.... .....
Thmtght in thduth
Be Patron Worlds
BY LA FOUETTE
Senate Passes Resolution for
Branding the. proposed merger of
two of the "big five" Chicago pack­
ers as a "flagrant violation ofvthe
law," Senator La Follette, republi­
can, of Wisconsin, charged in the
senate that officials of the."Armour
and Morris companies were''frankly
bargaining with the government'for
permission to do an unlawful act."
La Follette as"kfed the senate to
pass- his resolution demanding a gov­
ernment investigation of the pro­
posed merger.'
As a result of. Senator La Follette's
appeal,, the senate passed the reso­
lution without a dissenting vote. It
authorized the secretary of agricul­
ture to inform the senate, what steps
had been taken. In the-merger.
.La Folletite. condemned the ^action
of President Harding in voicing a
tentative approval of the. deal, life
declared thiera was "no' law', ^rhieh
authorizes the' president: to sell- ln
dulgenec to lawbreakers." r.
"The history pf the packing cor­
porations is a ,shameful history of
defiance of the law and of tjie
courts," said La Follette. "It ig a
warning of the length to which cor­
porate greed -will go in robbing the
public, oppressing Its employes and
defying the Jaws.
"Why are the'great packing houses
frankly bargaining with- government
officials for permission.to.do an un­
lawful act? It, is because the great
packing houses are in financia.1 diffi­
culties.
"The trouble is that, they ate:.meat
packers no longer. With-the.ntfllions,
they extorted from- the' people, they
have reached .out into other lines of
business and the losses. connefeted
with these Other dines must event­
ually be paid for by cnhancing the
meat products." ..
Frank Morrison and W. J.
Spoor Visit hi Twin Gittes.
Minneapolis, Dec. 14,—Organized
labor will concentrate its efforts dur­
ing the coming fsession of congress
to prevent the repeal of the present
immigration laws, Frank^ Morrison,
secretary of the American Federation
of Labor, declared in an interview
in4 .the Twin Cities Friday Sight.
Mr. Morrison and W. J. Spencer,
president of the. metal trades of
Washington, were in the twin. Cities
for a few hour's-Friday en poute to
Portland^ Ore., where the^are go­
ing to arrange'for the next national
cohyehtlon of the American Federa
tion of- Labor, which will b§ held in
that city in June, 1923^
"There' is" no scarcity^of 'labor in
the United' States, but there' Is a
scarcity of men-^who work for
starvation wages,". Mr. j^orrison" said,
mployers who want chekp foreign
or are carrying. on an intensive
campaign'to- let down^the imttiigra
tion bars. I hope th^y will npt be
successful."
!'En
laoc
In commenting upon ..the appoint­
ment of Pierce Butles- to
,the supreme
bench, Ur. Morrison expressed ..hope
ths.t the nomination vrould' hot be
.confirmed by the senate^
"I am pleased *dt the tt&rrtw being
made by the progressive people of
Minnesota to hlook the^t^olntniehjt
of Butler and hdpe" they^ .irni suc­
ceed,". lie- said.
He stated that "the reft&kttipk
pe-Ho nored k. F. of Policy.
Formation of a ne^r party to represent the progresnve
thought of liberal parties, labor organizations and progressive faii
mer organizations Was frowned upon^ki the report of the commit
tee ort organization, headed by Morris Hilquit, New York, at die
conference for progressive political action being'.'1^ Cleveland
this week. The committee recommended the continuance of the
method which proved so successful in the last campaign oiF going
into the primaries of the old parties dnd nominating men friendly
to the progressive caiise/V It wis provided, however, that in case
the candidates sp favored v%re not ^omiriated then independent
nominations should be tnadis
61
reactionaries will oontinUar lft hMh
local and national elet^ons beM|K
of the dissatiftfabti^n of the
:pe^pl«
with the' representation mt^a
been. receiving. He .expressed ieU^
ure at th^ farn^i^a^rjS^toi^^ri
Minjiesota hut said Ipat could
see ino need for a Rational third
•party.
v-- 1V'
W*
Approves A. P. of L. Polljy.
The recommendation7 of the com­
mittee is an. endorsement of th«
stand, taken by the American Fed­
eration- of Labor: for more than 40
years and is a vlndication.' of the-pa­
ction of Samuel Gompers oh polite
ical action. It is also aiv endorse^
ment of the 'position takefc' by Mr.
Townley, former president of \the
Farmers' National Nonpartisan
leagufe, who one year agp" upon lils
release from jail declared for a pp^
litical course by farmers aftd work­
ers that would give them the ^bal­
ance of power in government, which
they will have in Washington after
March 4 next.
The chairman of the committee to
back the time-hoinored ahd time-*
proven policy of the American Fed­
eration of Labor is Morris Hilquft,
former member of the Socjfclist pari­
ty apd. one of the. -leading figures in
Socialist politics and literature. Tho
surprise of the conference is in the
-change of heart of Mr. Hilquit.
Scores "Workers' p«rty.»'
The conference was further mark^
ed by its constructive and practical
wisdom when it Refused recognition
to the "Workers' party,V the defer
gates from .which -sought sqpts in
the meeting. Edward Keating of
Colorado^ editor, of "Labor' 'at Wash­
ington,-ledt he fight against seating
delegates from, that party. Mir. Keat­
ing- la a former member of -Congress.
"The 'Workers' party' has-jio
place where honest, trade unloiaiata
are represented,'' said Mn Keating^
in Jiis1»eekrh to the conference. He
declared ttie, party un-Ainerl'can and
anti-labor.
"This conference stands for the
flag and the constitution," continue^
Mr. .Keating, "and the reason we are
going to- kick the. delegates from the
'Workers' party out is because they
neither, stand for this country or its
labor organizations.
Unfriendly to Unions.
"Its ^officers are managed by im?
friendly Interests," he-charged. "Its
leaders know they receive money
from anti-labor employers tp- com*
into labor's ranks and disrupt labor
oganlzations. They are out to de­
stroy the unions* They are- relative-*
ly'in the time position as the citi­
zens' alliance."
Minnesota was represented at the
conference by A. E. Bowen and D.
C. Dorman,. representing the Farm­
ers' Nonpartisan league H. D. Crar.
mer, Minneapolis Trades and Labor
assembly .6 W. Lawson, Minnesota
State Federation- of Labor Thos.
"Van Lear, Working Peoples' Non.?
•partisan.league, and W W. Royate^
railroad, brotherhoods.
The, railroad brotherhoods took
a leading hand in. the big confei^
^nce, following their successful pais,
ticipation iii. the. political battles !g
a score of states this. year. The
president of the conference is Will­
iam'P. Johnston of. tha,Inte*nationai
Association of Machinists.
Minnesota Was Divided. "T
While the. Minnesota delegation
divided upon the question ofc estab­
lishment. of a national thiird party
at this' time, they agreed upon 'a
"har?nohy plan" which'was in part
adopted by. the conference. This plan
according to one of, the. delegates,
provides fqr leaving the entire mat*
ter to the progressive forces of the
various states.
R. p. Cramer, representing the
Minneapolis Trades- and Labor as^
sembly, was under instructions in-f«
far of the formation pf a. third party
vrklle A. E. fiow6h :and D. C. Soc­
man, as repreMntatl^es of the Na­
tional .. Nonpartisan league,.. are- opro­
posed to thirds party-action, at this
time. W.^W. Royster. while favoring
a third party, advocated thaj^ th*
question be left to the several .states
to ideclde. George .W. Lawson,. rep^
resenting die Minnesota State. Fed-
eration of Labqr, -also urged that the
question "be left to the states to'de­
cide. Thomas Van Lear wasunder in-r
structions from ,the .- Working Peo­
ple's league to urge the formation
of a national third party.
Mak£-iip .of* Conference, .,
The Cleveland Conference was the
result of a move initiated about a
year ago by the International As­
sociation of Machinists and, was' ^at­
tended by delegates from the.' If
railroad ^organisations, tlMsNatlpnal
Nonpartisan league, tho Working
Pepple's Political league of Mlnnfr
sota, .i.the United
(Mine
Workera Of
America, central labor .iinipiifl
throughout the United States,
greMVe^fSirnvBrs.''. or^nisatioiKS,^ thie
i^ational' farmer-labor party and" tha
national j^cMiist party, the
c6j^e^ence was b|ld' inrChl^4tft^
^^^h*t a rMgJ^latlv« pro*
'^g^.»was.
:.ai(^^d:.uffbji.
'v-v- f#GoatIiiiied .on-'-'paga^S-)'^
.tiiSS