Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1913-11-14
'NIIGHT NOT RIGHT" SAYS
SECRETARY OF LABOR

Seattle, Nov l2.-Exposlng cor
poration greed as it exists in the cop
per districts of Michigan, and declar-
ing for a federal employment bureau
under supervision of the department
of labor, with the assistance of the
postal department, Secretary of Labor
William B. Wilson made an address
before the A. F. of l.. convention here
today, in which he stated the depart
ment would cooperate with the trade
union movement to elevate the stand
ards of society.
Wilson's statement of what he had
found from investigation of the Cal
umet strike caused a sensation
among the delegates
81 want to take you into my con-
fidence about the work of the depart
ment at Calumet" said Wilson, while
recounting the work accomplished
since his appointment. 1--WE not only
sent a man to confer with the strik-
ers and employers but an expert to
look into the earning capacity of the
companies involved. II has been the
custom In cases of strikes to find out
what wages were paid, the hours OF
work and the condition of labor, and
to make these public. We propose
to go a step further and make public
the earning capacity of the companies
involved Here is what want to tell
you. The largest corporation in
yolved in the strike at Calumet was
organized in 1870 with capital
stock of s2,5OO,OOO, the stock valued
at s25 per share. This stock was
sold at that time at S12.50 per share,
so the actual cash value of the origin
al investment was $1,25O,00O.
During the AZ years this company
has been in existence It has declared
dividends amounting to 1921, 900
and made re-investments amounting
to $75,0OO,000. This after paying
all expenses and enormous salaries
to officers.
Then the men in control refused
to meet with their employees, and de-
clined to accept an offer of arbitra-
ton. They say the property is theirs
and they can manage It to suit them
selves.
May be it is. But | say that the
age has gone by when he holds who
can, and might is right. All title to
property now existing is by law, and
the law of titles was made by society
as the best way to preserve the well
fare of the community and not the in
dividual. Whenever the individual
or corporation uses the title to prop
erty in such a way as to injure the
welfare of the community, then he
will force society to modify its laws
Concerning the federal employment
bureau, Secretary Wilson said
'At present, under the system of
private employment bureaus, they
can be used to supply strikebreak-
ers. Men are deceived into going to
distant places to get jobs, then taken
to a place where a strike exists and
forced to work under guard. | have
in mina plan which it may be pos
sible to work out of federal agency,
exactly bureau of labor information.
| want to see created under this de-
partment bureau which will col
lect and dispense labor information
after the plan now used by the wealth
er bureau. Through many sources in
formation could be gathered as to
where men can find employment, the
wages paid, whether trade unions are
recognized and last, but not least,
whether a strike exists in the section
mentioned. All of this information
could be taken and condensed into
report small enough to be posted
daily in every post office in the land
as we'll as every other public place
where men gather"