The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1913-11-12
WILSON
SPEECH
WARM
Cabinet Member Tells Labor
Convention About Strike
at Calumet. Msch.
TAKES RAP AT GREED
Tells OF Administration Plans
for a Federal Employ
ment Agency.

Exposing corporation greed
rs il exists in the copper DIS
,ricts OF Michigan. and dc
elaring Tor a federal employ
ment bureau. under super
vision OF the department OF
labor. with the assistance OF
the postal department., Secre-
l.arv OF Labor VIM. r. Wilson
made an address before the
American Federation OF La
Dor convention here today, IN
which he stated that the de
partment as now organized
would cooperate with the
trade union movement 10 ele-
yste the standards ot society.
Secretary wilson's statement OF
what he had found In inyesttgat'
! ins the Calumet strikes caused Q
sensation among the delegates
Seek Earning Capacity.
'T want TO take you into my con
7Naeace about the work OF the de
.partment at Calumet" said Wilson.
'reooun,ing the things accomplished
since bis appointment We no
only sent a man 10 confer WIN
the strikers and employers. but an
expert 10 look into the earning
capacity OF the companies involved
III has been the custom In case
of strikes to find out what wages
were paid. the hours OF work and
the conditions OF labor. and TO make
;hese rublic. We propose TO 20
step farther and make public the
earning capacity OF the company In
volved.
Here is what want 10 tell you.
The ,argest corporation involved IN
the strike at Calumet was organized
IN 1870 with capitalization OF
s2.500.0 600. the stock valued at s2o
a share. This stock was sold a;
that time at $3.50 share. so ths
actual cash value OF the Original
Investment was si.250.0OO
During the az years this
company has been in existence
II has declared dividends
smounting 10 $4,000 This
after paying ali exposes and
enormous salaries 20 officers.
Then the men In control re-
fused to meet with their employees
and declined TO accept the offer of
the department Of labor to mediate
They say the property Is theirs
and they can manage II 10 suit them
selves.
Maybe II 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 ss the best
way to preserve the welfare Of
the community and not the in
dividusl. Whenever the !ndi-
sidual or corporation uses title
70 properly In such a way as
70 inIure the welfare OF the
community, then he will force
society to modify It's laws.
concerning the proposed federal
employment bureau Sec. Wilson
said:
Az present private employment
bureaus are used 10 supply strike
pieakers. Men are deceived into
gong to a distant place TO get a
JOB, tnen taken to a place where
strike exists and forced 10 work
under guard.
nave In mind a plan. which II
may be possible TO work out. OF a
Isheral agency. not so much an en-.
ployment bureau as a bureau NJ Ia.
Dor Information.
Would Dispense Information
want to see created under this
department bureau which will col.
Isct ana dispense labor information
aitef the plan now used by the
weather bureau
A.. ihrough many sources insorma-
tloh could be gathered az 10 whore
nfeh can find employment the
wages paid. whether trade unions
aIe recognized, and last. whether a
,1 s,rlKe exists lie the section men
All OF this information could be
taKen and condensed into a report
hhall enough 10 be posted daily I'm
every postofiice In the land az we'll
as every other public place where
men gather"
pur advertising ptraae. - lr,io better
rr,,,,.', ..','na neGessary, means fret. tho
80 10 train our students FOR the bas,