The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1909-08-19
Is of More. Importance to American People
Than That of Big Navy Says
John Mitchell.
Workers Demand Relief From the Injunction
Abuse and Exemption from, the Sher-
man Antitrust Act-Are Eessental
to Industrial Development.

control of the parties of which they are
members. This will brighten the future
outlook for labor in America. They can
then take hand in the disclosure of po
litical plots. And they can determine
whether or not they will continue with
their present political affiliations.
The American workman, for instance,
is more interested in the laws relating to
child labor than he is concerned with a
big navy. He doesn't care whether the
United States adds two or four battle.
ships year to the navy. AS whole,
the American workmen are opposed to
n large standing army. The large army
is an unnecessary expense and has no
real use. On the question of a large
navy, there might be real difference of
opinion. The abstract proposition is
that we are opposed to other nations
with large navies, and so we must have
one. This is the question of many work
men.
On the other hand, the question of
raise of wages is vital one. AS grn-
eral proposition, in all mechanical pur-
suits wages have not been raised.
stances, but n general rule employ
ment conditions are not voluntarily i'm
proved by employers Yet wages have
been raised and the conditions of en-
ploywent have been improved. Why?
Because of the efforts of organized wage
Gamers.
This is no reflection at all upon en-
ployers that they have not taken the ini-
tiatire in these movements for the in
crease of wages among employers AS Il
matter of fact, considcrat@ and hui
name employer, who desires to establish
more humane conditions OF employment,
is deferred from so dong because of
the attitude of inconsidcrate and reac.
tionary employers
In comparative industry, as, for ex-
pie, the newspaper publishers, one en-
player can not pay larger wages than .n.
other. If he does so, he will be at q
disadvantage in competition with less
considcrate employers. Often the best
employer is forced to maintain the
same conditions as the worst employer
in the same industry, or sacrifice his bus
mess
Under these circumstances, the trade
union, with it's uniform wage scale,
serves not only the interests of men who
labor by requiring the inconsderate and
grasping employer to pay as high a wage
as is demanded from the best employer,
but it also protects the interest of the
good employer.
Labor unions in the United States, de-
spite the opposition of open foes or pro-
Tossing friends, will go forward to Il
greater degree in the future than they
have in the past. The men who labor
are going to take stronger interest in
labor unions than ever they have be-
fore. My best judgment is that the time
will come when all the skilled and un-
skilled laboring men of the United
States will be enrolled as members of
their own trades unions.
On the other hand, firmly believe
with equal sincerity, that the employers
of each industrial division win be or
ganized in employers associations. The
purpose of these employers associations
viii be to establish and maintain trade
relations with their assisting workmen.
Then the trade agreement which now
exists in many industries as, for in
stance, the newspaper industry, will be-
come a recognized and established pro-
cess through which industrial peace and
industrial righteousness Will be main
tanned in this country.
American workmen are not inconsider-
ate of the interests of their EMPLOYERS.
The whole future. the prosperity, of
America depends as much upon the
workInen as a producer Too many en-
ployers IN America believe that our fu-
ture depends upon production at a cost
sufficiently low to enable them to market
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