New Britain herald., 1917-12-10
CONSCRIPT LABOR
 NOT NECESSARY
So Secretary Wilson Tells Con-
 greSs in His Annual Report

| O1 ldDoF. secretary wilson told con- 1 gross in his annual report today. is l not likely to be necessary for the win
 ming of the war, but he suggests that
 should it become necessary for the l government to conscript labor, it
 should at the same time conscript the
 industries on which they are engaged. l Almost insuperable obstacles arise" l says the secretary of labor. when | labor disputes occur under circum- stances in which employers permit or ganization by their workmen only on pain of dismissal. Since in such cases the workmen have no responsible bus mess representatives, only one party to controversies can be conveniently or satisfactorily heard. In such cases, also, the workers, being prevented by thelr employers from organizing on g. business basis, tend to fall away from the pacifying influence of conservative, constructive, and responsible labor or ganizations and to come under that of irresponsible revolutionists. As most labor lawlessness is traceable to this cause, responsibility for it cannot be wholly diverted from the policy hardly patriotic in time of war-of arbitrarily obstructing labor-organiza-
 ton of the conservative type.
 The department is of course aware or proposals more popular earlier in the war than now, to settle labor dis putes by coercing wage earners. But these proposals are' both unfair and impra cticable They are also widely regarded, and not without reason, as unpatriotic. It is enough to say of them here that in ho vii of partment public sentiment cannot be expected to tolerate conscription of labor for private profit. Should>indus- trial conscription become really ne- cessary in order effectively to prose- cute the war. a policy less likely to be considered one-sided would be de- s1rable. It would seem-that is, if workers were to be conscripted for industrial purposes-that the working opportunities to which they were as- signed ought to be communicated so as to make such workers not coerced servants of employers but employees of the government itself.
 There is, however, no reason for experimenting a necessity for any kind of labor conscription in order to settle or prevent disputes between employers and their employees which may inter IcIc NllIl vigorous prosecution OI the war. In every case in which re- spOnsible representatives of disputing 1 employers are willing to negotiate 1 considerably with responsible repre- 1 SentatiVes of conservative labor Orz ganiZati lions which represent their dis l putting employees in the spirit in which 1 they would negotiate with business 1 competitors, labor disputes can he l settled speedily, effectively, and With- l out friction through the mediation service of the Department of Labor. By simple and fair systems of col lective bargaining between the gov- ernment labor organizations, and bus mess organizations all labor disputes prejudicial to an effective prosecution of the war can be promptly elimin- ated from war problems. Not only can this be done, but it can be done to the satisfaction of all concerned and in harmony with every patriotic purpose.
 "Our greatest need is the spirit of self sacrifice for the common good a sacrifice of our pride; sacrifice of our prejudices, sacrifice of our sus- picions against each other, sacrifice of our material comforts, sacrifice of our lives, if need be-to carry on unimpaired the democratic institu- tions handed down to us by our fathers"
 The report makes an announcement on the much discussed pay and privi- leges being allowed to the incerned German civilians in the camps con- trolled by the Department of Labor.
 Tt was agreed, by the department to remunerate those of the interned alters who should perform labor of
 xx,if 1on struction or management of the in terment camp at the rate of $2O moth; those who served in the ca pacitv of foremen, etc., to receive $25 a month. The interned officers, how cver have been allowed to receive from any source only S10 a month and the scamen $5 month, receipts in excess of these amounts being placed in the Postal Saving bank to the credit of the interested parties, or otherwise disposed of as desired. Purchases of clothing, etc, can be made with the funds of the interned aliens, under the direction of the inspector in charge of the internment station"
 The departments work in mediat- 1 ing in wage disputes, enormously in
 creased by war activities, have affect ! ed practically a million men and have ! been eminently successful.
 "Tho number of labor disputes call ing for government mediation in- creased suddenly and enormously with
 the beginning of the war;" says the report.
 "In larga number of instan acs
 the conciliators have been able not
 only to bring about agreement in
 cases of existing differenceS-Often
 arising from misunderstandings
 to avert the threatened strike alto ; gether.
 The success which has attended
 the dena ri m ent,s repreSentatiXeS in