United labor bulletin., 1914-12-26


on the ground and personally in charge,
there is reason to believe that no strike
would have occurred
~Whatever may have been the re-
sponsibility of the workmen for the
strike and its Incidents" said Secretary
Wilson. ''the local management cannot
be wholly acquitted; and upon the ele.
mentary principle of agency, as sound
in morals as in law, ultimate response
bility must rest upon the owners"
OF the mediation and conciliation work
the report says:
.Of all the functions of the depart
ment of labor which it is yet possible
to administer this one may be reasona-
bly, regarded as the most important.
Suggesting with reference to labor dis
putes development of diplomatic du-
ties in the department of labor analo-
gous to those in the department of state
with reference to international dis
putes, it points to federal administra-
tive system for promoting and fostering
industrial peace; not peace OF the
Warsaw order. but one of mutual bene-
fit and good will.
Interest of Wage Earners-
Primarily the department of labor
must conserve in industrial disputes
the interests of the wage earners of
the United States. Such is its duty un-
der the law of its creation, the first Sec
tion Of which charges it with response
bility specific as to labor disputes And
those interests are exceptional in their
magnitude. Not only do wage earners
constitute in number more than a third
OF our total population. but in financial
respects also their aggregate interests
are vast.
OF the Michigan copper strike he says:
IF the managers of the property in
VOWED in this strike had dealt with the
dispute at its inception, as it's principal
owners lMessrs Shaw and AgassiZl
might have done had they been on the
ground and personally in charge, there
is reason to believe that no STRIKE would
have occurred"
OF the Colorado strike the secretary
says;
-'The coal strike in Colorado, which
has neecssitated the use Of federal
troops. is another conspicuous instance
of industrial warfare in which, however
heavily the responsibility may rest upon
the strikers. il must attach also to the
local management of the property in
volved and therefore to the responsible
owners.
TN its early stages this strike could,
as stated in the first annual report,
have been settled upon fair terms. had
the proposals of the department of Ia
bor for arbitration by an unbiased
board chosen by mutual zgreement been
promptly accepted"
Wilson then discusses the distribution
OF wage earners. saying:
The welfare of the wage earners OF
the United States cannot be served by
mediation of labor disputes alone. A.
firmative measures for modifying II not
wholly obviating the Industrial maIad-
justments that generate these disputes
must be undertaken as we'll For this
purpose legislation is necessary.
Pending such legislation. however,
the department is utilizing its present
powers as fully as circumstances per-
nit by availing itself of the services of
the division Of information in the
bureau Of immigration. This division of
that bureau has been specifically en-
powered by Congress to promote bene.
ficial distribution of immigrants. By it's
subsequent subordination to the depart.
ment of labor. charged as this depart
mcnt Is with promoting the welfare or
the wage carncrs of the United States,
that function may be regarded as hav-
ing been 80 far infercntially enlarged as
to include citizens within the scope OF
its intended benefits. The department
has therefore. through the division of
information. entered upon plans of work
for improving the opportunities of the
wage earncrs of the United States,
whether citizens or aliens, for profitable
employment.
Distribution of Labor Planned.
Excess in the supply of labor over
demand for IL IL n cause of labor dis
putes which ranks high in Importance,
IL, indeed. it does not rank As the cause.
In colloquial terms the 'jobless man
puts all wage workers at disadvantage
in bargaining with employers. The
'manless job is a corresponding collo-
quialism. II there were profitable
'manless job for every joblcss man the
complete remedy for industrial disputes
would be TO bring the two together: but
whether so complete correspondence
exists or not no one at all familiar with
the problem of seasonal employment and
TO accidental displacements of wage
earncrs can doubt that it exists in some
degree.
There were 'manless Jobs for iobless
victims of the Salem fire. and this de-
partment helped to bring the two to-
gether; there are 'manless jobs of the
seasonal kind on our farms and else
where to which this department has
been able in some instances to bring
joblcss men,
Information ON Labor Needed.
Insofar as department work of this
kind can be Improved and expanded the
evils Of labor disputes will be minim-
izcd and with rpferpnrn to s,,rl, vxcrt-
the cooperation Of Congress Is urgently
solicited. What is needed is timely and
widespread information concerning Ia.
Dor conditions in every part of tho coun.
try.
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