Denver labor bulletin., 1917-09-01
THE GOVERNMENT AND UNION LABOR

the general manager of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad, and, as a clinching
demonstration of his conciliatory pur-
pose, representative of the National
Association of Manufacturers, the bit
terest opponent of organized labor IN
the country. In organizing his prin-
cipal subcommittee he followed the
same liberal policy. Employers were
given equal representation with labor
on the committee on mediation and
conciliation, the committee on wages
and hours, and the committee on wom-
en- in industry. To the limit of his
powers, he sought to lay the founda-
ton of a nationwide industrial truce.
He naturally assumed that a similar
spirit would guide the business men
who were placed at the head of five of
the six other committees of the ad-
visory commission as well as by the
physician who was made chairman of
the committee on medicine and general
sanitation. He assumed that the gov
ernment would recognize the right of
organized labor to be represented on
the various special boards created to
mobilize industry and speed up pro-
duction. But nothing of the sort hap
pened. The committee on supplies and
its subcommittee on cotton goods, on
woolen manufactures, on shoes and
leather are made up exclusively of
manufacturers and business men. Con-
tracts are let with great regard for
economy and speed of production. but
without any consultation with repre-
sentatives of the workers as to the
probable effect of economy and speed
upon them. The committee on trans
portation and communication is like
wise without labor representation. The
subcommittee on shipping. on steel
and steel products, on nickel and mica
and lumber and copper and lead and
every other commodity for which the
government has entered the market
are made up exclusively of bankers
and merchants and manufacturers. The
same is true of the general munitions
board, which has received special gov
ernment recognition. By this one
sided arrangement il is made to APP
pear that Mr. Gompers has patriotic
ally pledged himself to restrain the
workers from agitating for the condi-
tions Of decent life without securing
any guarantees for the protection Of
labor in return.
Heightened color is q en- to this
appearance Of things, which does Mr..
Gompers great injustice. by the atti-
tudc Of the various committees and
the departments 70 the complaints Of
the IfAlt union men anu 20 AlltAE AZ
tempts to secure fair cooperative ar
rangements for the adjustment of
grievances. The executive board Of
the metal trades department of the
Federation of Labor offered TO enter
into an arbitration agreement with
the navy department for the prompt
and democratic adjustment of any
disputes that might threaten to inter
fere with the work of the department.
Their communication was not even ac-
knowledged. Seventy-five miners who
had been employed in certain southern
mines were discharged for the sole
reason that they were members of the
United Mine Workers Union. The
matter was brought TO the attention
of the chairman of the committee on
coal production, with the request that
he should make an effort to bring about
fair settlement. With n shrug of
the shoulder, the chairman regretted
that there was nothing he could do
inasmuch as Those mines do not be-