The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-09-21
NO RSSWAC,SAY.
SECRETARY.
Declares Workers and Business
Men Must Cooperate.
BLOW At FRIGHTENING"
Cabinet Member Gives Business Con
vertion His Views on Profits ano
Wages ProbiSms.

wages ProbiSms.
Allan ic City. y. j., Sept. 21.-Sec
Rotary OF Labor Wilson addressed the
war convention Of the Chamber o.
commerce OF the United states.
He said the unrest OF workers in {
county is due to j belief that bust
ness is pruh, eering.
The greatest reason for the spirit
of unrest now" he said. lis that the
report is abroad the iron and stee
companies are making from POO TO 4ot
per cent on their investment that ship
building corporations are MAX n
enormous pr0ti.S. that tn mine opera
tors and lumbe: are cleaning up.
The thought then comes to the
workers that business men have NO
been patriotic, that they are takin:
advantage of the emergency fer profit
eerng. And they insist n Their share
of the 'swag. My position gentle
men is that there must be no swag
"Without price control there is 6
constantly rising circle Of costs. l.,
You increase the cost of food, Their
wages must go up. If wages go up
the price OF the prodUct must be rails
ed If the selling price Of the product
rises the cot of food must again be
raised that the farmer can buy these
products. Again and again these lis
ing costs will go on in circle.
One Of the great values Cf fixing
prices of commodities is tha. it stabil
ICES these things. It. fixes the wages
not only b. an arbitrary law, but by
making the industry itself stable. L
gives fixed costs and, without abnor
NAL increases in wages or selling
prices. retains the purchasing power
of the wage and the normal profits
OF the employer. 1t destroys profit
eering.
The government foes il cannot at.
ford IN this crisis TO allow cur indus.
tries to be idle We want you and
we want the workers. to realize that
We cant allow prnftreering or unjust
demands from rther worker or EN-
plover. The first duty of all Of us +
to win this war and everything else
must be suhordinated to that.
81 feel confident that this country
will sacrifice TO the last man in the
! trenches rather than allow tie kaiser
to impose his will on the people. Since
we are in this war. we Will win, fol
we must. We may make mistakes
hut il is as certain as anything J
know that ours will be the victory
Here the convention broke in with
cheers for the secretary.
| But the man in the shop is an i'm,
i portant factor. as important as an!
other man in this war. The prob en-
of industrial relations therefore al
this time Is more intense becauss,the
man in the shop and the man In the
! field are both vitally essential to the
successful conduct of this war.
al have told workers that this is
/ no time to insist on recognition OF the
union or a change in standards. II
the worker is unable TO get under nor
| NAL times a recognition of his union
! or change of standards. he ould no.
take advantage of the cpuntry's neces
| sites in struggle for life 10 lns's'
! on a change at this time.
But this Is no time for you men
OF business TO stand upon your preJu
dices. This is no time to insist on
profteering. If you are unable to Sc
cure abnormal profits in normal times
YOU should take no advantage of YOU
country's necessities to force abnor
NAL profits at this time.
.'The demand of the miners OF cen
trail Pennsylvania last May for wage
/ adjustment illustrates the way work
ers feel on this problem. | founc
that these men. who had contract
which was effective until next yea:
felt they ought TO keep their bargain
and would have done so, bat they look
ed at the extortions Of the operators
getting s. and SIS a ton for coal thai
once cost no more than $3.50 tor
at the mine. They demanded and go
a reimbursement of wages through eff
Sorts at concilliation.'