The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-19
WORKER
 BENEFITED BY
 LABOR UNIONS Secretary Wilson Declares Organization Has Done
 Much For Shopmen. FUTURE BRIGHT, HE
 SAYS, FOR AMERICA Boom Isn't Dependent Upon European War Orders, He
 Tells Farmer.

Every worker has been benefited by organized labor, for the better working conditions procured by organ ized labor are ref1ected in the condi- tions of every worker, be he mem Der of the union ornot."
 This view was expressed to Far mer reporter today by W. B. Wilson, secretary of the department of labor in the cabinet of President woodrow Wilson. Secretary Wilson, who is the first official of organized labor to be selected for a cabinet position in the United States, said today:
 We are at the dawn of a great and prosperous industrial era in the United States. It is difficult to determine just how much our trade has been 1n- creased by the war in Europe and in estimating this we do not want to overlook the fact that we are great consuming country.
 we have procured many new mar kets and we will create others. We will go forward, not backward. As for the munitions trade created by the was abroad I should say that even if the war were to end tomorrow there would be no falling off in this busi- ness for we must keep on manufac- ! the state of preparedness which most of us are now agreed is necessary. The munitions business at the best is only a very small percentage of our trade abroad.
 During the last century the work CTS have made great progress, and through organization great benefits both to employers and employees have become realities. As the world pro- gresses so the future must grow brighter for all of. us.''
 Secretary Wilson said he was not familiar enough with the suits brought by Bridgeport manufacturers against individual members of the In- ternationa1 Molders' union here. He said:
 TT understand it is somewhat siTni- lar to the suit of Loewe & co. against the Hatters of North America except that the legal points involved are en- tirely different. In the Loewe case, boycott was the charge. In the case of the Bridgeport Holders I under stand the manufacturers have brought up the old charge of conspiracy"
 Secr,Stary Wilson would not discuss the case any further, although later in the afternoon he touched upon the matter in general way when he mar rated the struggle of organized labor against findings of judges that picket ing of factories and soliciting workers to strike came within the penalties of the Conspiracy Act.
 Regarding the railroad situation and the demands of railroad workers Secretary Wilson said that President Wilson is now engaged in handling this matter and he would make no comment.
 In the stadium at Pleasure Beach this afternoon he made speech which was listened to with the closest attention by the thousands of union machinists and their friends in other crafts who had gathered for the field day.
 Secretary Wilson's address was a most interesting account of the achievements of organized labor in this country. He told first briefly of the struggle of union rlen for the right to organize and how they had finally attained it. He then describ- ed the various means invoked by cap- italists to disrupt the labor organiza- tions.
 The invocation of the old conspiracy laws against labor organizations who picketed factories and solicited work CTS to quit during strikes and the struggle of the union men for the right to do this and their final suc- cess under the law were all graphical ly pictured by the secretary.
 He described in an interesting man. ner, enlivening some rather dry data, as he related the struggle by the unions to curb the abuse of injunc- tions in labor troubles and then mar rated what has been accomplished in this respect.
 Free from all the tricks of the pro- fessional orator, Secretary Wilson has a style all his own and he painted thrilling and realistic word picture of the century long struggle for rec ognition and better things, which the workers of this country have made.
 In passing, Secretary Wilson sketched the work of the department of labor, it's creation, what it has ac- complished and what it hopes to ac-
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