The Washington herald., 1916-08-08
HUGHES WOULD
PROTECT LABOR
Tells Detroit Crowds That
Good Americanism Means
Safe Conditions.
(By the International News Service

(By the International News ServIcc.)
Detroit, Mich, Aug. In addition to
his two big speeches here tonight, Mr..
Hughes delivered four other addresses
during his stay in Detroit
The first was that made before the
delegation of Welfare Workers. In regu-
representatives of the Woman's Parity, TO
the employees of the Dodge plant, and to
the wOrkingmen at the Cadillac plant.
To the suffragists Mr.. Hughes reiterated
his stand for suffrage by Federal amend
ment, to which he said he had nothing
to add.
In the address to the Welfare Work.
CTs, he said:
I'm your welfare work you are doing
not only what is worth while here, but
you are setting n great example. You
are buttressing democracy The human
factor is, after all, the important factor.
You may develop your physical plants,
your physical Observation-Disclosures, distribu-
tion and everything that goes to make
up the material side of prosperity, but
you are absolutely hopeless without the
of freemen, the man who is at work for
living must feel that the country is
doing the best thing by him.
Duty to Protect Worker.
"How can he refuse the Job which
stands between him and starvation? 1t
is perfectly idle to say in our indus
trial conditions that he can take or re-
fuse the work according 10 his idea of
the safety appliances which may be pro-
vided to protect him. You have got
to protect him. No man can work in
any position where his life, his limbs.
or his health are subject to any un-
-4zN-
ism, and that is good business.
I'VE have got to have production, and
all we can get for 1t. and after this war
is over, We have got to look out that
we are able to maintain ourselves in
competition with other nations; but you
cannot permanently, in democracy, have
successful production with discOntented
workingmen
Therefore, I am delighted with every
means that is taken in this intelligent
and very practicable way to provide for
the betterment of human living, to ele-
vate the standards Of life, to provide
means Of wholesome recreation. to pre-
vent men from being imposed upon
so that everyone in the community who
works with his hands can go content
edly and happily to work without any
notion that he Is not being treated as
a reasonable being and being encour-
efficient and successful workingman."
Finds Labor Prosperous.
In his address at the Dodge plant.
which he substantially repeated at the
Cadillac plant, Mr.. Hughes said:
Nothing pleases me more than to find
labor prosperous and well treated There
is nothing in Detroit. with all its
marvellous growth, that is 30 impressive
as the disposition that has been shown
to give fair consideration to the reason
able demands of labor. Now, I have
always believed that when you have any
thing to settle. you could settle it very
quickly when you could get at the facts.
All that labor wants, as l understand it,
is a square deal on the facts. They
want to be protected. You want TO be
protected from any unnecessary injury.
You want to have wholesome conditions.
You want to have reasonable hours. You
want to have a fair opportunity to share
in what you make. and in it's value and
the reasonable profits that accrue from
the industry.
Are Learning Cooperation.
'I believe that we are beginning in this
country to learn what is meant by CO.
operation. We are not in different camps;
we are not put up one against the other,
one man against another man. America
is not against any man. 1t Is all together.
and We all go up or we all go down.
You have a great plant here, ef-
fiCiently managed. but I tell you we want
the United States efficiently managed,
and when men are put into office not be-
cause they are fit for the job but merely
to get them the job because they need the
job, that Is not good American govern
ment l did not stand for that in the
State of New York, and If I am elected
President. I shall not stand for that in
the United States"