The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-11-13
WILL COOPERATE
IN GREAT WORK Of
TRADE UN|ON|SM
Secretary w. B. Wilson
Pledges Department
Of Labor.
TOILERS CRUSHED
FOR PROTESTING
Power Of Organized Capital Ex-
erted in Various Portions of
Country to Prevent Revolt
Against Unjust and Unfair
Conditions-No Sign of
Fight on Gompers.

Seattle. Wash. November 12.-Secre-
tnry OF Labor William II. Wilson, ad-
dressing the American Federation OF
Labor to-day. bitterly condemned tho
attitude of tho Michigan copper mining
companies and warned them that
new conception of titles to propcrty
was in process OF formation. He de-
clarcd he would make public not only
the wages paid to tho miners the hours
they worked. and tho labor conditions
but the enormous profits OF the mine
owners.
Mr.. Wilson. who addressed the dele
gates IS fellow said:
The Department OF Labor as now
organized and directed will be utilized
to cooperate with the great trade
union movement In its effort to elevate
| tho standard OF human society.
One OF tho general duties imposed
/ on the department Is that OF promoting
! the welfare of wage workers. a
The one great specific duty q i'm
posed on the department Is to act as
mediator and to appoint commits
putes.
e"There can be no mediation; there
| can be no copciliation between en-
ployers and /employes that doesn't
pre-suppose> collective bargaining. and
| there cannot bo collective bargaining
that doesn't pre-suppose trade union
ISM
To Investigate Earnings.
or the situation mt Calumet Mich.
the secretary said it had heretofore
been the custom TO investigate wages,
hours and conditions OF labor and re-
port. This time. he said. It had been
determined to Investigate also the
! earnings of the corporations involved.
| And the little bit OF confidence that
l am going to give to YOU" he added,
1nt lta lur
| gagged in the production OF copper in
the Michigan district was organized In
| SO under the laws of the State OF
| Michigan and that the face value OF its
I capital stock is S2,500.000. The shares
I are $50 eacn. They were purchas
at SIC each, thnt the actual invest
ment was si.250,000.
| From that time until one year ago
| that corporation declared In dividends
! Sl26. 900 and made reinvestments
out OF its earnings of sI5.000,000. Near
ly S200.0oo00o Of actual net profits in
period Of forty-two years on an
| investment OF S1,250.0o0. and then they
not only protest against meeting COM
/ mittecs OF their workmcn but refuse
! to accept the good offices of tho De-
partment of Labor In negotiating tho
| difficulty.
/ They say their property Is their
own; that they have the rirht to do
| with 1t ms they please. Those who
! take that position have a false con-
ception of tile titles 10 property.
| society Must Tie Considered.
Law has created those titles. not
primarily for the welfare of the man
| 10 whom it conveys 1t, but for the well
fare Of the community. Society has
| conceived that the best method OF
! promoting the welfare OF society is to
| convey titles to individuals in real es-
20. =
| however. not for the welfare OF the
individual. but FOR the welfare OF the
| great mass Of the people. If any in
| divldual or corporation takes the
| ground that the property Is his own,
| that he has the right to do with ii as
| he pleases and falls to take into con-
| sideration the fact that the title has
! only been conveyed to him as a trus-
| tee for the welfare OF the society
| then he is creatine II condition that
will cause society to modify or change
| these titles to property. as 1t has a
| perfect right to do"
| Mr.. Wilson condemned the sending
! OF strilse-b breakers BY private employ
ment agencies. and said:
I II wish TO see created Within the
| Department of Labor. n bureau of in
| formation that will be handled much
| on the same lines as our Weather
Bureau of information, where we Will
gather the informa tion Of where men
can find employment. tho wages they
| VIII receive. the hours of employment.
| the conditions under which they toll.
| whether or not q trade union is recoE-
| nized, and last. but not least. whether
| or not any trade dispute exists where
| the employment may be had: and then
| condense that information into sheet
| that can be posted in every post office
| in the United States and IN every other
| place where men congregate. so that
I when a man comes into community
| where n strike exists for the purpose
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