The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-04-16
A. F. of I. Head Arraigns Presi-
dent for Latter's Opposition to
Strikers At Bethlehem Plant.


. WASHINGTON, p. c., April 15.-
President Tafts assurance to a dele-
cation Of business men from Bethle-
hem. Pa, that the government will
continue buy Bethlehem steel re-
gardless gof. the charge made by the
strikers that the product OF the COM
pany is Of an Inferior quality, turned
cut by incompetent. slabs, brought
forth a ringing; denuhciation from
President Gompers Of the American
Federation of Labor. Gompers said:
%"The presidents utterance to the
delegation Of business men of Beth
lehem who were coerced by the Beth
lehem Steel company is but confirm
Ing as well as. disappointing.
Disappointing that he would car
ry his former attitude toward labor
to the logical conclusion regardless
of underlying causes confirming of
his utterance and: actions in every
material issue in which the real in
terests of labor are involved.
Government COndOnes Brutality.
According to the presidents posi-
tion it is not the governments con-
workers of a. concern are treated; it
matters not whether American work
ers are displaced by the worst ele-
ments> of foreign labor, Coolie, Jap
or Slav, whether Americanism may
be possible of development among a
company's employees, it is simply a
question of product. So long as the
product is acceptable, the producers
may be. damned for all time in the
production
THE president stands pat on the
tariff in products from foreign coun-
tries and stands equally pat in the
free trade in labor from all climes
and under any conditions" ~
After speech by H. J. Myers, who
headed the business mems" delega-
ton, In which he told the president
that ''the reputable citizens of Beth
lehem condemn the efforts of the
professional agitators to injure the
company" the father Of injunctions"
replied, in part:
" Utters Plenteous Platitudes.
=, II am utterly opposed to the prin-
c1ple of a boycott. Every issue ought
to be settled on it's own merits. If
the Bethlehem work isn't up to the
contract then the government ought
not to give: the contracts to it,, If it
is then the contract ought to go to it
without regard to any controversy
the Bethlehem company may have
With, third persons. Whether those
persons, are consumers or employees.
-. The merits of the controversy be-
tween Bethlehem and its employees
In so far as the public is concerned:
Will be settled on the merits of that
controversy, and the mutual relations
or lack Of" relations, between the
Bethlehem company and their en-
ployes; and there IS no relation be-
tween the one controversy and the
other. because-I say that with en-
phasis-because to hold otherwise
IS to introduce. into government
methods the system upon which the
boycott rests, to wit, that third per-
sons are to be involved against their
will in a controversy with respect
to which they have no actual rela-
ton.
.'This Is My Position "
That is the position occupy. 1t
is the position my administration, as
lar as l can control it, will occupy"
The Bethlehem Steel company,
through some mysterious manner, is
able to get more government work
than all of iits competitors. As a
matter of fact, the strikers declare,
1t is practically nothing but govern
ment work that keeps these plants
running. Although 'Taft's. record was
known to them; the Bethlehem strik-
ers did not expect. that the president
would absolutely refuse to interest
himself against the oppressive condi-
tons, under which the government
work i. made. - -.
An idea Of how government con-
tracts pay when they are executed
In slave joints is gained by the annual
report of the Bethlehem company for
the year 1909, showing its profits for
the year were $28,696. 900.