The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-08-04
(By Special Correspondent

F>rayne, organizer for the American
Federation Of Labor in New York
city. and who came into national
prominence last September through
his attemp. to bring about great
general strike IN that city in SYM
pathy with the II eet CIR men, has
been made the la or representative on
the War Indust: les board, which was
created last Sat, rday by the Council
Of National Defense.
Just what Frayne will be able to
do, as one out o" aeven in the men,
bership Of this board, no one can say.
Samuel Gompers has been one out Of
seven in the Advisory Commission of
tn. council, and he has been abso
lutely blocked, during the past six
months, in his temps to get even a
casual recognition Of the organize
workers on the effective committees
of the council. Sec etary McAdoo~ re-
Gently rubbed it in" by taking charg'
Of the preparation Of the soldiers
injury md separation
allowance legislation which the coun
Gil had assigned to Go>npers' commit
tee on labor. This job, of drafting a
of work that had come to the Com;
pers committee.
May Be ReOrganized.
During the past six weeks of grow
ing agitation on the part of the In
dustrial Workers 1T the World, and of
steady increase strikes and indus
trial demands on the part of the trade
unions, the Council Of National De-
Tense has permitted the impression t.
go abroad that it vas about to "fix
it up with labor" There were rumors
that the council itse:- would be re-
organized, ind that five or seven men
would undertake. all Of the RESPONSE
BILE work in connection with the in.
dustrial side of the war 1t was rum
ored further that organized labor
would be given very large part of
the power over the decisions Of this
new board or council.
When questions were asked, as to
what would be done to give assurance
of economic safety to Mat nine-tenths
of the military force which remains,
under civil law, in the shops and fac
tories and mines, the administration
officials and their volunteer advis-
ers' talked confidentially of a salts
factory agreement which was soon to
be announced.
Personnel of Board.
Labor officials and the rank and
file wonder whether the appointment
of Hugh Frayne to the seven-man
War Industries board, along with
Judge Robert S. Lovett of the South
ern Pacific railway, Bernard Baruch
of Wall Street. Frank A. Scott, re-
Gently chairman of the General NUM-
tons board, Robert S. Brookings, a
st. Louis merchant, and Lieut.. Col.
Pierce of the army and Admiral
! Fletcher of the navy, is going to prove
satisfactory to the unions that have
demanded, and insisted upon, direct
representation on all the contract
handling commi''ees.
An official statement says that 1.-The
new board will be composed of seven
members, working ufider the direction
| and control Of the Council of National
Defense and responsible through it to
| the president. It's members will be d.
rect representatives of the government
and of the public interests.
| THE board will act as a clearing
house for the war industry needs OF
the government, determine the most
effective ways Of meeting them and
the best means and methods of in.
creasing production, including thu
creation or extencion of industries
demanded by the emergency, the Sc.
quence and relative urgency of the
needs Of the different government
services, AMI consider price factors
and, in the first instance, the indus.
trial and labor aspects of problems in
volved, anG the general questions at.
fecting the purchase of commodities
Will Have Restraint.
Evidently Hugh Fr:*yne is to ICON.
slider, in the first instance, the indus.
trial and labor aspects of the prob.
lens involved" in the war" industries
so far as Chairman Scott, who is q
munitions manufac'. lrer, Lovett, who
is a railroad magnate, Brookings, who
is big merchant, Baruch, who made
a million in Wall Street in six years
and an army office and a navy. Off.
Ger will let him.
On the ether hand, the, various ad.
visory con- mittees which have had the
handling of hundreds Of millions OF
dollars worth Of contracts, and which
committees have been made up almost
wholly of the big business men whose
firms were t. land contracts for these