The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-18
MUSTN'T CUT WAGES
,pEns WARNS EMPLOYERS
AGAINST 1T IN FUTURE.
HANNA WANTS HARMONY.
.,oTABLE SPEAKERS AT LAST DAY
OF CIVIC FEDERATION.

c.r,ners Spoke Against "opcn
ehon,,-Said "ClOsed shop" Is Like
society or Organization That
11cens out People Objectionable to
1.Admits LabOr's Use of the Boy
..o,t. and Defends Such a Method.
uaunn Praised Labor Organiza-
ions But Wants Conservatism in
All Disputes.
chicago, oct. IA warning to cap
,.ol against cutting wages, if f1nan-
ciaI depression comes, by President
co,,nArs of the American Federation
If Labor, and plea for harmony be-
tween employers and toilers by Senator
Hanna, were made at the closing ses-
sion of the National Civic Federation
conference to-day.
Mr.. Gompers had listened to the ar
guments of the representatives of cap
,taI and labor. who had come from va
rious parts of the country to discuss
questions that would aid in bringing
them closer together. 1t was in reply
IN one of the speakers, the editor of a
New York paper, who at the session
ihe day before took occasion to tell the
employers and employees in the event
of a possible financial reaction, not to
make any unreasonable demands on
the employers, Mr.. Gompers spoke of
the harm that would follow any at
tempt to lower wages.
Successful arbitra ton. Mr.. Gompers
said, was impracticable unless the en-
ployers are strong and workmen or
ganized and prepared to defend the
stand they may take. He spoke
against the "open shop and compared
the CLOSED shop" to various organiza-
tons. societies and professions which
he said bar persons Objectionable to
them.
Mr. Gompers took exception to the
coupling of the term boycott and
budgeon as weapons of labor which
were mentioned by a speaker yester-
day. 1T may sound" he said, very
nicely as an ALTERATION. but as mat
ter of fact it does not exist.
Boycott, yes; why, of course, we
boycott, certainly. 1 take it that there
are some ladies and gentlemen in this
hall to-day who would disavow that
they ever boycotted, but they did all
the same. and they do, socially, finan-
cially, and in a business way, and in
every other way that is right, proper
and moral. We propose to stand by
our friends, help our friends in prefer
ence to those who have always raised
their hands against u.s."
Senator Hanna advised conservatism
In all disputes between both sides and
praised the eelement of labor organiZa-
tons. The work of the federation is,
said Senator Hanna, a work of educa-
ton, and he added that patience is
required for the work for the good of
our fellowmen individually and for So
oiety as a whole.
Future success in maintaining in
dustrial supremacy was a greater mat
ter than the question of who is the
next President. Captains of industry,
he said. and the other side We're only
too willing to learn from teachers who
have had experience.
Distrust preached by labor leaders.
he declared to be an unfair PROPOSE
ton. There is not he said, any real
difference that cannot be settled but
fair dealing was necessary. He re-
ferred to the wastefulness of strikes
and lockouts, and the effect they had
on capital and labor and how aid in
the movement of the federation could
help all.
Labor leaders and employers believe
that the conference has done mucn to
help in bringing the wage Garner and
the capitalist together in an effort
TO establish more harmonious rela-
lions and they expressed qualification
at what they regarded as a right step
toward this direction
After the business session of the day
banquet, at which Senator Hanna,
President Gompers, members of the
federation, leading business men and
labor leaders were present, was held.