The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-04-05
M0RM0NISM AND
TRADES UNIONS
Was Subject Of Discussion at
Conference Yesterday.
SAINTS SHOULD AVOID DEBT
PRESIDENT SMITH PREDICTS
HARD TIMES ARE COMING.

The social problem and what atti-
tude the church win assume I'm regard
10 labor unions. I'm view of the neces-
sity Of It's young men branching out
into the crafts IS. apparently, an linz
p0rtant question before the seventy
third annual conference OF the Nor
mon church. which opened I'm the tab
ernacle yesterday Pay your tithing,
keep out of debt and look for hard
times. are the watchwords sounded
by every speaker from the head of
the church down To- the missionaries.
In dealing with the labor question
President Smllu scored the "genteel
professions and advised the young men
of Zion not 10 aspire 20 become pro-
fcssiOnal men. but 90 turn their ate
tention 90 the mechanical arts. This
raised the question of what was TO be
done about The unions, the church be-
ing opposed 10 secret organizations.
The addresses made along this line
showed am apparent division OF Opin-
ion. Elder B. H. Roberts indicated
that he favored the unions Co a GER
tain extent and that the church would
perf0rce have 10 support them if they
expected their young men 20 accom-
plish anything in the trades Presl-
dent Charles Kelly of the Box Elder
stake denounced labor organizations as
secret orders that should be Stunned
by the young men of the church.
Large Crowd at Conference.
Conference opened with the usual al
tendance. Fully 10000 peOpie were
present mt the morning session. and
there was a larger number at the aft
ernOon meeting. Members or the
church from gray-haired patrlarchs
down 90 young children, from every
part OF the state and from surround
ms states, filled every seat ia the
house.
The morning session was opened at
1915 by President Joseph r. smith,
and after prayer by President David
II. Cannon OF St. George stake, the
opening address was delivered by the
head of the church.
'I desire TO mention one or two sub
jects. said President Smith. which
deem worthy of the attention of the
Saints. I'm this time or prosperity IL
SIS highly proper that the Latter-day
Saints should get out Of debt We may
look now for a period of depression at
any time And one of the best ways
s0ciates is to first meet our Obligations
90 God. Pay your tithing and be
blessed: that is just what / mean"
President Smith then took up his
other subiect-that of labor. He urged
that more attention should be given
10 the manual training of the boys OF
Zion.
The vast majority of these profess
FiOnal men,. said he, "are worthless
They are leeches upon the body pol
itic. Some of US have an idea that IL is
degrading for our daughters 10 learn
10 cook. They are now taught TO play
the piano and sing and spend their
time ia idle. useless pleasures Ia soel-
ETY.. We stun the heads Of our chill
dren with fables and fairy tales in
stead of teaching them useful labor.
Train the Hand
President Seymour b. Young of the
seventies regretted that too much time
was being spent in educating the head
and not enough i'm training the hand.
The schools and colleges. he declared.
were incomplete because they lacked
the facilities of teaching the mechan-
Zeal arts.
President Jesse NJ Smith OF the
Snowflake stake Of Arizona invited the
CLlNla lo 1NllE 20 AlieAN a-e-NNf W Atr- I-
he said. the MOrmOns had built up
communities. where the spades were
bright and the barns were fun.
President r.. ID. WOoley Of the ka-
nab stake reported that there was not
q saloon I'm the settlement over which
NE presided.
President Byron Sessions OF the Big
Horn stake IN Wyoming relNrted that
everybody was prosperous I'm his dis
triCt and that there was not a mort
gage on a farm i'm that section.
After some announcements by Pres
ldent Smith the meeting adjourned un-
On afternoon.
When crr1erence was resumed at
@. m. Elder Is. III. Roberts was intro
duced as the first speaker. His ad-
monition 20 the people OF Zion was
that they should keep out OF debt
In the quorum OF seventies" said
he. eve are constantly in communica-
ton with young men who have
been selected as suitable 10 perform
missions. but who write 20 as that
they cannot heed the call because of
financial obligations. This Is a state
of AFFAIRS that should not exist Every
young man should see 10 it that he
owes no man anything. that ne may De
ready 20 give his attention TO the work
OF the Lord when the cali comes"
Favors Labor Unions.
Then Mr.. Roberts took up the labor
matter. This Is a day Of orgaHiza-
lions, said he. Organization Of labor