Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-19

are particularly pleased at tho appointment
of Ernest r. TrtEg, president OF the Phila-
dephia Chamber OF Commerce upon THIS
committee, which Is the most important OF
the entire convention.
other members OF the resolutions com
mittee are:
Elmer J. Bliss. Boston. Mass. chairmani
o. II. Gadsden, Charleston, S. c.; Ernest
ice Jancke, New Orleans, La. Bishop
Thomas II. Gailor. Memphis. Tenn; w, ID.
Buchanan, Chicago. III; u. T, Meredith
Dea Moines, Iowa Thomas y. Stearns. Den
,cr, col DR. Norman Bridge Los Angeles,
Cal at-large, George A. Post, New York
Il. H. Babcock, Pittsburgh. Pa
CRITICAL SHIPPING PERIOD
Raymond u. Stevens. Of tho United States
Shipping Board. declared that the critical
period I'm the shipping conditions is going
To he during the next six or eight months.
before any apprcciable portion Of the emcr-
gency fleet now being built can be made
ready for actual trade.
To meet the dangers Of this period Mr..
stevens asked the members Of the United
States Chamber Of Commerce to give their
immediate and active assistance toward two
ends:
First Toward tho passage Of the bill
now pending in Congress to permit the
President TO suspend during the period
Of the war, and under certain conditions,
the law which prohibits the use Of all
foreign shipping and shipping under FOR
egn register in cOastwise trade
Second. Toward allaying the suspicion
which exists among both labor and the
the organizations that each is trying TO
use the war conditions TO gain a pcrma-
nent advantage over the other in the
continuous struggle between capital and
labor.
BIGGEST MERCANTILE MARINE
This war will end" declared stevens,
with tho United states having the largest
mercantile marine IN its history. and one
which I hope will continue TO De the big.
gcst for years to come. And we want the
officers and the men Of that merchant fleet
to he American CitiZCus'
The passage Of the bin To- permit tho
President to suspend temporarily the law
against the use Of foreign ships iu coast
wise trade Mr. Stevens pointed out, would
release hundreds of thousands of tons of
shipping now engaged in Coastwisc trade for
foreign service and will mean that the loss
to the coastwisc fleet can be supplemented
by the use Of neutral ships which have
already been Offering their services
Discussing the aims Of the Shipping
Board. Mr.. Stevens said that within the
next two years it is hoped TO have added
to Americas shipping facilities nearly TO-.
100000 tons.
Discussing the hostility between these
men and organized labor. Mr.. Stevens said
Il ind among some business men the
fear that labor is going to take advantage
of this war situation TO strengthen unions
And at the same time some business orgaui
cations are trying TO employ the situation
to break down the unions and to breal
down the regulations imposed by the Gov
ernment for the protection Of the working
man.
GOOD LABOR LAWS MUST STAND
uTt,a, ot,;trd. Of .uan rinn m bnt, side
| is a very serious and menacinE thing. AND
I want to emphasize one thing. Every
! provision of law which the national Gov
crnment has passed for the better proteC
| tion of workers ought to stand unless il l.
| demonstrated that any particular law is
| serious obstacle to the efficiency of labor.
At the conclusion OF the morning session
an open discussion was held upon the sub
| ject of "how American business can helr
promote the development Of transportation
on land and sea as a primary factor ir
| winning the war"
! on account of the absence Of Charles
! PieZ, president OF the Link Belt Company
! chicago Samuel $. Hastings, president o
| the Illinois Manufacturers Association
| opened the discussion.
| The burden Of Mr. Hastings's plea was 10
| cooperation. summarizing his views, h
/ said:
| Railroads must treat business mel
right-that is cooperation.
employers and employees must irea
/ each other right--that is cooperation.
There can be no cooperation IL IL il OF