Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-13
LABOR'S SERVICES
Continued from Page One)
BY Executive Council


The statement was drafted by the ex
ecutive council of the American FEEDER
alton of Labor which submitted it to the
delegates gathered here today in response
to call from Samuel Gompers, presi-
dent, who presided at the conference. Al
though meetings were executive, it was
said later that only slight objection was
voiced to certain passages in the original
draft of the statement and that these
were explained away, the vote on adop-
ton being without a dissenting voice. The
statement opens with this declaration:
I'VE speak for millions of Americans.
We are not a sect. We are not a party.
We represent the organizations held To-
eether by the pressure of our common
needs. We represent the part of the ma
ton closest to the fundamentals OF lie.
Those we represent WELD the nation
tools and grapple with the forces that
are brought under control in our material
civilization. The power and use or IN
dustrial tools is greater than the tcois
of war and will in time supersede ageh-
cies Of destruction"
II then goes on to say that whether we
approve it or not we must recognize that war
is a situation with which we must reckon
and points out that the United States may
be drawn into the European conflict at any
moment Attention is called to the fact
that methods of modern warfare are lar dlt-
ferent from those of previous war and that
THE nations problems afford an opportunity
for the establishment of new freedom and
wiser opportunities" Modern war the state
ment says includes contests between work
shops. factories, the land, financial and trans
portation resources, therefore lit is fitting
that the masses of the people of the United
States should take counsel and determine"
the course they shall pursue.
1t is maintained to be a fundamental step
in preparedness for the nation to set its
own house in order and establish at home
justice in relations between men,
Previous wars for whatever purpose
waged, are said to have developed new
opportunities for exploiting wage earn
ers: labor being stripped of it's means
of home defense and robbed of the ad-
vantageS. projections and guarantees
achieved after ages of struggles wage
earnerS are declared always to have
lost, regardless Of the outcome of the
wars.
Since the masses perform indispen-
sable service. it follows" the statement
declares. that they should have a
voice in determining the conditions up
on which they give service.
1t then proceeds on behalf Of the
workers of America to make known
their beliefs. their demands and their
purposes"
The demands include "the right in
war times to be the recognized defend
err of wage earners against the same
forces which ir former wars have
made national necessity an excuse for
more ruthless methods"
Conditions Of work and pay In gov
eminent employment and in all occu-
pations it is asserted, should conform
to the principles of human welfare and
Justice and "wtether in peace or war
the government must recognize the or
eanized labor movement as the agency
through which it must cooperate with
wage earnerS"
II is held that service In war time
may he either military or industrial
and that both are equally essential to
the national defense. 1--WE hold" the
statement says this to be incontro-
vertible. that the government which
demands that men and women give
their labor power. their bodies or their
lives to its service should also demand
the service in the interest of these hu-
man beings. of all wealth and the pro-
ducts of human toll property"
1T also is held that if workers are
called upon to give more exhausting
service than their welfare warrants
that such service shall be asked only
when accompanied by increased guar
antees and safeguards and when the
profits to employers shall be limited to
fixed percentages.
Demand is made for clear different
iation In preparedness between mill
tary service for the nation and police
duty in industrial disputes