Denver labor bulletin., 1917-06-02

Professor Lindsay b. Longacre of
the Tiff School of Theology delivered
an address before Denver Painters and
Decorators Union No 70 at the regu-
lar meeting Thursday night of this
week He spoke in favor of maintain
ing the standards which labor has OBJ
tanned after many years of struggle,
and especially against exploiting the
labor of women and children under the
cloak of war emergencies
Professor Longacre, in addition to
his duties at the Tiff school, has been
supplying the pulpit at First Congre
gational church since the resignation
favorably known among organized
workers.
Brief Review of Address.
Following is a synopsis of the in
teresting and instructive address de-
livered by the professor Thursday
night:
"It is with great pleasure that
accepted the invitation to speak here
this evening, extended me by Mr.. w.
S. Wilson, your business representa-
tive. The invitation grew out of
very innocent remark of mine to
painter friend, that efforts are being
made, under cover of war emergencies,
to break down the safeguards limiting
the number of hours for work, espe-
cially in the case of women and chill
dren.
This was first called definitely to
my attention in one of the bulletins
issued from my own university (Col-
umbia) regarding questions raised by
the war Here the statement was
made that, Since the nation, once
there is a call to the colors, is to be
increasingly dependent on the labor
of women, it is immeasurably import
ant that the standards and safeguards
we have built up in the last thirty
years, for their protection, be rigidly
maintained. There are already sin
lister signs of letting down of the
bars in labor standards on the plea
that what the nation needs most at
present is maximum production.
If this were certain to be short war,
temporary speeding up of labor
might be permissible, but English ex-
perience since the beginning of the
war has clearly demonstrated that al
tho the labor laws may be repealed for
an extended period, the laws of phys
iology cannot be repealed. An exten-
sion in the number of hours, instead of
tain to reduce it after the first squirt
Keep Your Eyes Open"
while these statements were made
New York, Colorado has already shown
some indications of falling into the
same erroneous enthusiasm. 1t is pos
sible, of course, that conditions may
ultimately force some relaxation in the
present laws; but that time is still
distant, and such relaxation, if made
at all, should provide most strictly
for the immediate turn to normal re-
quirements as soon as the emergency
has passed.
at was a casual conversation on
this subject that led to my being here
this evening. You hardly need any
suggestion from me to keep your eyes
open for such possibilities. Doubtless
you are already aware of them, and
are taking steps to prevent, as far as
possible, any unnecessary retreat from
the positions now established by law.
"There is, however, larger aspect
of the situation upon which | should
like to say word or two. l believe
that this war is not only inevitable but
righteous. / have talked with a num-
ber of men who seem to think that
the war is sufficiently condemned when
they call it a dollar war
War For Democratic Ideals.
GAS far as that is concerned, dol
lar war is no worse than a dollar
peace. But supposing, for the sake OF
argument, that back of this war, at
least in its beginning, there was the
motive of national economic advan-
tage, the last man to object to that is
the man who appeals to the strike
for his own economic advantage. Every
strike is dollar war, and if that is
all that this war is, then we have
simply Joined a sympathetic strike,