The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-11
War Secretary Declares Il
Has Bettered Conditions
Of Nottingham.
BLACKLIST IS SCORED
Washington Is Invested With
Enough Authority Now, He
Tells Inquisitors, and More
Would be Menace to
the Republic.

NEW 1Ohh, JAN. ll.-SeCretdfy VI
Wal William H. Taft, who spoke in
Cooper Union last night on Capital
and Labor" conducted a question box
after his address, and the queries were
fired at him thick and fast. In his adj
dress he declared that 1t was absolute
ly necessary for labor to unite to main
tain itself against the organization of
capital, and he came out very en-
phatically on many other questions
which seemed to suit his hearers.
Mr.. Taft scored heavily with his
audience from the very first. He gave
many reasons why labor and capital
should cooperate, declared that there
were times when a strike was labor's
only effective and legitimate weapon,
averred that the manufacturer who
wouldn't deal with organized labor was
practically behind the times and as
serted that the blacklist was equally
wrong and cruel with h boycott.
The Secretary put himself on record
as believing that the injunction should
be SO ~safeguarded that, in labor cases
at least, no restraining order should
AE6uC III dAlCh A1OLASG 9iAA q
had been given. He even said that
since some distrust existed in the minds
of laboring men of judges who a at
hearings on injunctions issued by them
selves. 1t might be well to allow de-
PENDANTS in injunction cases to have
the privilege of demanding that the
hearings be held before other judges.
He, furthermore. feared that compul-
sorry arbitration was too much like In
voluntary servltude to be constitutional.
But perhaps the most significant OBJ
servation that fell from his lips all the
evening long was his reply to an in
quirer who wanted to know if he didn't
think government ownership of mines
and railroads would make easier the
settlement of labor disputes. He said
he did not think so, and added:
"Have you ever thought of the tre-
mendous power hat o put in the
hands of a few men in Washington at
present? Lord knows there's enough
power there now. but IL you put still
more power in the hands of n man
or a small group of men you will create
a force that may well make you tremble
for the future of you republic"
"Do you think a laborer gets enough
money!" was a question to which Sec
rotary Taft l%aughingly replied:
81 don't know what the laborer gets.
/ don't know what labor he performs,
but I do know that some get more than
they ought to have, and I think some
should get more"
A question concerning the right or
an employee to bring injunction pro-
ceedings, induced the Secretary to cite
a case in which he appeared as counsel.
Moores & Co. had obtained a judgment
Of $500 against a labor union, he said,
and it took ten years to obtain the
money. The secretary added that If an
Injunction had been obtained by Moores
they would not have suffered any dam
age. Shortly afterward a humorously
inclined auditor sent up the following
question, which caused a general laugh:
"If 1t took Moores ! Co. ten years to
collect 81, 500, how long will 1t take the
United States to collect $29, 00O, 900 from
the Standard Oil?"
The secretary said that the solution
would require an advanced form OF
mathematics, with which he was not
familiar.
There was one query over which the
secretary hesitated, while his face as
sumed a thoughtfully serious express
sion. Then he read:
What is a man to do who is out of
work in a financial crisis and is starv-
ing?" There was an audible pause.
The secretary looked to the far corners
of the big room Inc the long lines Of
workmen gathered there.
God knows he replied. "They have
my deepest sympathy, IL they can't get
work. 1t is an awful case when a man
is willing to work and is put in this
position"
Cooper Union was janmed to the
doors, with hundreds standing up, be-
fore the hour of z. Outside long lines
were still waiting in the vain hope of
obtaining entrance. AS it was, Mr..
Taft did not arrive at the hall until
ten minutes after 8 o'clock.
Professor Charles Sprague Smith in
troduced Mr.. Taft as the Secretary of
the Navy"
There was a big howl Mt this and shows
of Secretary of War and Secretary of
Peace went up all over the house, min
gled with many cries OF three cheers for
The next President"
Mr.. Taft took 1t all good-naturedly and
uaShed MS SearcnHSnt bmle OVei ue
crowded house until they had quieted
down a bit.
Injustice done to capital. Mr.. Taft said.
acted directly on the wage eorners. Dras-
nc legislation tending un1ustly to reduce
legitimate earnings Of the railroad mus.
in the end fall heavily upon the employees.
Unjust taxation of corporations reacted
directly first upon the stockholders and
then upon the employees.
The clash between capital and b
came in determining the share of each
In the fruits Of production. 1t was abso-
lutely necessary for labor TO unite TO main
tain itself against the organization Of APP
ital. The ~pecuniary question of wages
was not the only one involved. Conditions
and hours Of work also entered in. The
effect OF the organization OF labor had been
highly beneficial in securing better terms
for employment for the whole labortng
community
The capitalist, Mr.. Taft saiA. must fsce
the fact that the labor union had come to
stay. The wise manager of corporate en-
terprise should receive the leaders of labor
,,.fo,. vrftt cr,,~4oe.r a,d roaraofNord listen