Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1908-04-10
Nc HGCUtI4TT!!!!N!G CUTTING OF WAGES
GomperS Sounds a Note of Warn
ing to Employers.
LABOR WON'T STAND FOR 1T.
Workingmen Net Responsible For
Present Financial C3nditions-Rs-
dueed Earnings Wou't Lever Con-
sumption and Lake Matters Worse.

present Financial Ccn6Itlons-R9-
dueed Earnings Wou't Lever Con-
sumption and Lake Matters Worse.
Samuel GoMpers. pre-. idPnt of the
American Federation of Labor. was
one of the speakers at the eighth an
nual banquet of the National Civic
federation recently held in New York.
In the course of his address he served
notice upon employers that attempts
to reduce wages because of financial
conditions would Ec fought to the Ut
most by the work;ngmen
"Since 1 have been in New YOFi."
said Mr.. Gompers. Il have been ap-
preached a dozen times 10y bankers.
financiers, capitalists. in open convcr-
sation, in written Communications and
in whispers to the effect that wages
must come down. that the laboring
man must make up his mind to bear
his share Of the hard tines
"And / turned to these men and
said: I would simply suggest this
thought: Our soil is not less fertile to-
day than it was yesterday: the treas
ures beneath are not less valuable: the
laborer not less industriok mems
minds have not been dulled ?ince yes
terday. The great genius of all by
gone ages is here with us now as yes
te0lay, and men are as willing to work
today as yesterday.
Wherefore, then, is there reason,
with all these facilities for the produc-
ton of wealth. and men willing to
vork-wherefore, now. is there rea-
son to attack wages and the American
standard of life in this country
IF thought the reduction of wages
would lessen the present situation by
one day | would favor the acceptance
of the proposition.
THE history of industry demon
strates that every such reduction of
wages intended to meet such condi-
tions as now exist has only accentu-
ate1 the situation, made matters
worse. When you reduce the laboring
mans earning capacity you reduce bis
consuming power and thereby intensi-
fly what was already bad enough.
$50 | say to the employers-to the
bankers. the lawyers. the manufacture
ers, the mine operators, to all employ
ers-that if they now attempt to re-
Guce wages they are not going to have
the easy sailing they had few years
ago, for the American workingman
has come to the conclusion that if for
any reason the financial situation is as
it is--and shall not suggest any rea-
son tonight-it was not at any rate due
to any fault on the part of the work
ing people.
"They have made up their minds
that they are not going to be the chief
sufferers because of an artificial panic
or of one caused by the blunders Of
those in charge of the finances of the
country
Mr. Gompers had been preceded by
President Eliot of Harvard, who spoke
on the extension of federal power, say
ing that it should be made to include
all such Questions as divorce. child Ia
Dor. incorporation of big combinations
of capital and labor unions. He char
acterized the labor union as a "com-
mercial association"
Mr. Goaipers took issue with him on
this. saying:
ut has been left to this evening for
me to learn that labor organization
is a commercial association. CONNER
cial in whatr we deal so much in the
phrases of commercialsm that we can
not dissociatc them from anything
even though it be the hearts of human
beings Would you call labor a trust?
| was surprised to hear this from so
scholarly man."
Mr.. Gompers also paid some atten-
ton to George W. Perkins, who read a
paper on the progress of the profit
sharing plan of the United States Steel
corporation.
IF | had time" said Mr.. Gompers.
II would like to ask what are the
wages of the employees of the steel
corporation now as compared with
what they were before this profit shar-
ing scheme was put into operation"