The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-06
ATKINSON TALKS
 ON LABOR PROBLEM

Tn the hall of the Fraternal Order ol Lions yesterday afternoon the Rev. H. A Atkinson of Chicago addressed an aud fence of representatives of labor orSani- cations and others interested in this field of work Dr. Atkinson is field secretary Of the Congregational Brotherhood of America, whose purpose is to form a closer union between the church and ia- hor
 Dr. Atkinson preached at the Consfe- gational chapel last night on Christ and the Laborer.n
 Seated on the platform yesterday after noon and entering with the visitor were White Gibson, Barnes Morgan, Ben Da- wis the Rev. pr. George Eaves and oth- CTS identified with the trades councils of this city. MT. Gibson acted as chairman and introduced Dr. Eaves. Dr. Eaves made brief talk on the labor situation in England, wherein he stated that he be- lieved that the future would hold bless ings as a result of the recent strike there, and presented pr. Atkinson as a former working man and present leader in the movement. Dr. Atkinson said in part:
 If you will look at history for ,he past 50 years. you will find that the ques- tion of the relationship between the ele- ments of humanity has been the most threatening signs of the periods. Now the old indiyidualties are gone and in their stead has sprung up the spirit of organization. This is the outcome of the materials that make up the business and labor combines and union throughout the country.
 There have been many mistakes made but the fault has been in erring hum aalty, for men do the best they can with the means at hand towards the bringing about of the conditions they are working Ter. l have studied the history of the church for many years and have found that many of it's pages are filled with mistakes that the ecclesiastics would Ike to tear out and then be able to show to you the good pages. I do not think that there is any institution that has made more mistakes than the church I know that the trades unions have made some terrible errors. Yet in spite of the mis- takes made by the churches and the unions, believe that if Jesus Christ were on earth today he would join forces with the church and if he were following his trade of carpentry, would belong to the carpenters union. He would discern the human element of both institWions and realize that the church is the best in- flIence towards pulling men up from .he lowest depths and eleyating them to the plane of right doing, even though it errs in many instances If that is true isn't It possible for the church and the trade unions to become closer united?r'
 The speaker said that one of the de- mands justifiable on the part of the la. borer Is that he should be protected from physical danger. You can hardly oyer. estimate, said he, the number of peo. pie killed each year in the industries There have been more people killed ir the past 20 years of peace than in any War of the same duration that has ever been fought. Then the specter of tuber- cuiosis and other diseases that dog thf footsteps of many trades should be ward ed off from men and women who worl under conditions that promote the ce. selopment of these diseases If ,nar is hurt by or in an industry he shoult be cared for during his illness by ih, business for which he works and his chil dren and widow should not become pau. pers because he is killed in the trade ir which he was working. A national law ta this effect should De framed No mat ter who is to blame, death Is too high z toll to pay and leave nothing as a pro vision for these who will suffer from tn, sudden stopping of their income"