Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-11-21

visors, have nothing to do with the question of wages, ana there was no use to make any demands here. The Electrical workers had submitted de- mands to the company for Little Rock and Fort Smith, and it was under stood, he said, that these also applied to Pine Bluff. The telephone com- pany officials refused to negotiate, refused to meet mediators, or enter into any negotiations at this time.
 "In dealing with people of that kind," said MT. Hicks, "there was nothing for the girls to do but take a vote. The vote was taken, and the strike was called"
 MT. Hicks said that as a represent ative of organized labor he would not say that organized labor never had made a mistake. It probably had made mistakes, as had. all other big organizations, and that all would con- tinue to do so; that thru mistakes people learn, but he declared that or ganized labor had accomplished many good things for the good of the pub lie thru bringing about beneficial legislation, better working conditions, and better wages.
 "We don't claim all the credit" he said, mentioning that others aided in the good work.
 No Time for Excitement.
 ! Mir. Hicks said there had been some misrepresentation of the attitude of labor here; some wild rumors-that the meeting had not been called "to make an appeal to passion-this is no time for that, but the meeting was called simply to state the facts and l,t the public draw it's conclusion" |" The speaker referred to the part la bor has taken in the war, and said la bor had proved it's loyalty and it's pa triotism, but that none should be ask ed to sacrifice more than others. As to the charge that l. w. w. are pro- German, MT. Hicks said he did not know. He declared that the I. w. w. constitute a menace, but that they are not in any way connected with the legalized American labor movement; that the I. w.. w. are not organizers but disorganizers; that they regard or ganized labor as their biggest enemy, and that the labor movement "don't want any I. w. w. people here," an announcement that was greeted with applause.
 MT. Hicks said it is necessary to employ organizers in forming labor unions, just as it is necessary to bring in outside men to perfect organiza- tion of lodges or other bodies. He said that in s"organizating the tele- phone girls labor was up against a big, fighting corporation" and that l the services of a man who knew his buisness were needed. "Mr. Goble is a citizen of the United States" he said "a citizen of Texas, and owns [property in Arkansas" Mir. Goble had visited Pine Bluff seevral months ago MT, Hicks stated, and at that time had made patriotic appeal for union men to stand behind the president. and 1 had declared that the man who dic not was not good union man. MT Hicks said the union men want to be patriotic; want to assist the govern 1nent to the full extent of their means and want to avoid strife as much as possible, but they should not be asked to surrender the right to strike something not even requested by the president of the United States, he said, in the "gentlemen's agreement with the president of the Federation
 of of Labor that every effort to aver strikes by mediation should be made
 He then recalled how many times. la
 bor had accepted mediation, mention ing that 12 controversies were not set tied that in eight the employers re fused to mediate, in two the employees refused to mediate, and in two others both sides refused mediation. MT
 Hicks declared for mediation by say inc that in the cases where both sides
 had refused to mediate, they shoult
 'have been taken across Uncle Sam!
 knees and given a good spanking"
 Union People Law-Abiding.
 Taking up the issuance o'
 the injunction by Circuit Judge Sor-