Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-04
CRIT|C|SES HIRING
OF STRIKE GUARDS.
Secretary Wilson Opposes
Their Transportation from
One State to Another.

WASHINGTON, Feb. Am his first
annual report, made public last night,
Secretary Wilson, of the department
of labor, asks for legislation by Con-
gress which will prevent the inter-
state transportation of armed men,
privately engaged for use in labor
controversies.
In the recommendations contained
in his annual report, however, the
secretary has gone further in support
of organized labor than on any other
occasion.
He severely condemns the use of
firearms in strikes and incidentally
takes fling at the employment of
detective agencies in such contro-
versies.
Secretary Wilson says:
1.-THE use of firearms in species of
private warfare in connection with
labor strikes calls for serious consid-
Grafton. Groups of men on both sizes,
without military or police authority
for it, have used firearms with fatal
effect in the coal strike in southern
Colorado.
"These arms and the ammunition
have doubtless been procured through
interstate commerce and many of the
armed men are said to have been i'm
ported into Colorado from other States
through a business concern engaged
commercially across State lines In
supplying corporations with an arm
ed and trained private soldiery or
police in numbers running into hun
dreds and even thousands
"In connection with the Pere Mar
quette strike in Michigan armed
guards, furnished by agencies in other
States, supplying men to take the
place of local strikers, accompanied
those men to Grand Rapids. They
were there turned back by the United
States marshal under instructions
from the district judge.
I'm the Calumet copper mining re-
gion, armed guards under CONTRACT
with the employers were forwarded
to the locality by agencies In other
States.
Though federal control of such in
terstate traffic was regarded as I'M
constitutional in 1893, it would ap-
pear by analogy to be regarded as
within constitutional sanction now.
The evil being still great enough to
demand such Congressional legisla-
ton as may be constitutional, here
by commend the subject to Congress
for consideration"
The recommendation by Secretary
Wilson is regarded by many here as
one of the most radical that has en-
anated from the present admfn1stra-
ton It is aimed apparently at pre-
venting big corporations from hlrlng
Pinkertons and other guards in
strikes.
Secretary Wilson apparently would
let strikes run their course, and in
case of violence by the strikers would
depend on the law and the courts TO
punish the offenders, even II property
and life in the meantime were threat
ened.
The secretary says that the depart
ment of labor was created in the in
terest of the wage-earners of the
United States, and sets forth that
while the department sustains friend
~ relations with labor organizations
its attitude is not exclusive. He adds:
"Inasmuch, however, as it is ordi-
narily only through organization that
the many in any class or OF any IN
terest can become articulate with ref
erence to their common needs and
aspirations, the department OF labor
is usually under a necessity OF turn
ing to the labor organizations that
exist and such as may come into ex-
istence for definite and trustworthy
advice on the sentiments of the wage
earning classes regarding their COM
mon welfare.
Freely as conferences with unor-
ganized wage earners are welcome,
official intercourse with individuals,
as such, has practical limits which
organization alone can remove Man
ifestly, then, the department of labor
must invite the confidence and en-
courage the cooperation of respon-
sible labor organizations and their
accredited officers and committees if
it is to subserve its prescribed pur-
pose through an intelligent and eff
fective administration of its author
lied functions"