Denver labor bulletin., 1916-07-15

csion in the case of the Denver bakery
workers, took the position that the com.
panies involved could not pay any more
wages because keen competition would
not allow them to do so, and, therefore
these girls and these men We're not en-.
titled to an increase, even tho the pro-
prietors of those concerns had agreed
to pay the employees more than
they had been receiving. In other words
the commission takes the position that
it is the sole judge as to whether or not
company in competition with some
other company is paying all the wages
it can.
In that particular attitude, as in many
others, the commission stands diamet-
rically opposed to the policy and prac.
tice of the American labor movement. 1t
has been said-I have said it myself
times without number-that if an In
dustry cannot pay living wage VIC
should put it out of business. If the
company to which / have referred can
not pay living wage, then the people
should put it out of business, and there
should not be any commission author
lied by the state to declare it cannot
pay more wages.
Mr.. Williams, in this same address
says: "Workmen and employers have
lost more by the bitter clash of war
fare than they have gained"
Spokesman for the Workers.
] am not spokesman for the employ
ers, but l am spokesman for the work.
ing people, and that statement, so far
as the working people are concerned, is
not in accord with the history of the
organized labor movement. My Godl II
it had not been for the right of strike
there would have been no organizations
of labor. How would it have been pos
sible for the crushed and oppressed
miners in the anthracite district to have
pressed home their demands upon the
public had it not been for the right oi
strike, with Divine Right" Baer and
all the influence OF corporate wealth op.
posed to them? Yet, in spite of it all
the anthracite miners drove home the
unjust conditions under which they Ia.
bored, and compelled the anthracite com
panies to recognize the justice of their
demands.
Do you remember, in the state of Penn
sylvania, not so many years ago, the
coal miners in a large district sent dele
gates out into the state and adjacent
states? What for? To collect money
to feed their women and children. There
was no strike on, but they could not
earn enough money to feed their womer
and children. Then they organized and
called a strike, which resulted in an In
crease in wages.
Strikes Win Emancipation.
In every avenue of activity of the
working people it has been necessary tc
employ the weapon of strike. 1t is moi
confined to those who work in the un
skilled trades. My own organization
the Typographical Union, some years ag,
--l901-entered into contest for al
eight hour day in the job branch of tn,
printing business. For eight years 4
had tried to secure an amicable agree
ment with the employers, and had failed
Our committee on eight hours met a.
every convention where the Typotheta,
Organization of employing printers
met, and pleaded with that organization
to enter into any sort of an agreement
looking to the establishment of an eight
hour day. What did they tell us7 II
the language of Shakespeare, they tolc
us to go to. We did. We went TO- It
1t cost us four and half million dol
lars, but we made the job branch o
the printing business in this country al
eight hour workshop, and we did it b,
the strike. 1t never could have been ac
complished in any other way. They sa,
we lost. We did not lose 1t was a busi
ness proposition. We cut off one or tw,
hours day, and we have put into IN
pockets of the members of our organiza
tion additional money also. More none,
is being paid job printers today thai
was ever paid under a nine or ten-hou
day. The strike is responsible for thi
condition.
Value That Lies in Freedom.
This great concern on the part o
those who do not belong to the labo
movement is due to the fact that the'
are thoroly conversant with and under
stand full well the value that lies il
the right to strike. (Applause) / woul,
much prefer, in my dealings with EN-
ployers, to avoid hostilities. I am al
ways wiling to use my best efforts {.
secure an amicable agreement without
strike. / expect in the very near futur
it will come within the line of my dut,
to advise an organization to strike, an,
if, in my judgment, the best interests o
the organization involved will be served
| shall advise and encourage a strike
the Industrial Commission to the con
trary Notwithstanding. And then, if i
wants to try conclusions, it will hay
an opportunity to do so.
You have all heard the expression tina
eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.
If the working people of this state wan
to preserve their liberty-if they desir
to retain within their own hands tn
right to discuss terms with their EN-
ployers-then they have a duty to per
form, and that duty is to bend all thei
and IN oil ,,,r
to wipe this Infamous law from tn
statute books of the state, and to d.
it at the earliest moment possible
Not a Single Good Feature.
l understand there are some who sa,