The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1910-07-08
REV. STELHE ANSWERS
ORGANIZER TAZELAAR
Other Side Is Heard on Charge of Church
Indifference in Bethlehem Strike.

quently appeared before the officials
of the corporations requesting that all
unnecessary Sunday work be abolished
and that meetings had been arranged
by the clergy in protest against Sunday
labor 1t was also brought out in the
discussion that not any of the Protest
ant ministers had ever made arrange
mcnts to have the company collect
church dues.
However, the committee appointed to
study the strike situation. saws in its
report that there seems to be some
justification for the strikers criticism
of the ministers and the churches.
While the clergymen in published
statement administer sharp rebuke to
the strikers ''for using any means
whether foul or fair to embarrass and
cripple the Steel company" and while
they put to the strikers the question
sis it reasonable to expect that, by at
tacking your employer openly and in
secret and by trying to destroy his
property, and his business, you can
best pursuade him to deal generously
and magnanimously with you?" The
committee insists that it finds no cor
responding censure of the officials of
the Steel Works for compelling m-
necessary and increasing Sunday work
through period of years; and if, as
the ministers state "only the officials
of the company can accomplish the
righting of any existing wrongs then
evidently these officials are responsible
for the continuous of such wrongs. And
yet, the Social Service Commission
says, 'there is not a word in the state
ment to bring this truth home to the
of said officials" The COM
mittee further declares in its repor that
nothing could be more eXasperating to
the workingmen than to assume that
he desires to pursuade his employer 'to
deal generously and magnanimously
with him. What he desires and de-
mands is not generosity and magnani-
nifty, at the hands of his employer, but
simply Justice
Practical Remedies Suggested.
The committee makes number of
practical recommendations in view of
the questions raised by the Bethlehem
strike. 1t declares that a "l2 hour day
and Il seven-day wek are alike a dis
grace to civilization; that there is a
way of avoiding each, but they will not
be avoidable until society requires the |
backward members of the community |
to conform to the standard recognized !
by decent men, 1t recommends that
there should be laws requiring three
shifts in all industries operating "a
hours a day and that there should be |
laws requiring one day of rest in seven
for all workmen in seven-day industries.
The federal government "'should be
urged to include in its specifications
for armor plate, war vessels, construc-
tion work and the like that the work
be done on a siX-day basis and that
where operations are necessarily con-
the 24-hour day be split into
three shifts, of eight hours each. 1t
would seem that the United States gov
ornment could provide for certain mini
mum labor conditions in its contracts
as well as minimum specifications as
to materials As it is now, the pro-
gressive employer who wants to be fair
to his men must compete for contracts
at levels set by the least scrupulous,"
The committee also recommends that
a day be set apart at church conferences
for the discussion of industrial condi
tions and the relation of the church to
them; that the churches of America be
urged to initiate a movement for six
day legislation, comparable with the old
Sunday observance movement which re-
suited in the placing of Sunday laws
on the statute books of most states
These Sunday laws were sustained by
the courts up to the federal supreme
court, not on the grounds of religious
observance, but ON the ground that un-
renting toll debases man. Therefore,
the report says, "The courts could be
expected to sustain by similar reason
ing, six-day legislation, provided that
when an industrial operation is neees-
sarily continuous each man shall have
one day free"
Tt is suggested that the churches
inauguerate a movement to place in
the hands of some appropriate body the
determination of when in lustrial oper
ations are necessarily continuous and
must necessarily be performed on Sun
day. As it is now, the decision is in
the hands of the managers who are
pressed for haste by purchasers, for
output by their directors, and for pro-
fits by their stockholders. 1t asks that
some properly constituted body be urged
to take up an adequate study of the
cost of living and wages in our differ
ent industrial districts, such as will in
form the churches as TO what is a liv
ing wage ON which the immigrant la
borer can safely undertake the respon-
sibility of home making without jeop-
ardizing the health of his family, and
on which an ordinary American house
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