Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-21
Military Control Hinted At

An attempt to analyze the labor situa-
tion, as thus presented, leads to one con-
clusion at least-union labor as repre-
sented by Mr.. Gompers is temporarily ION
the inside" with the big employers. An.
other conclusion is that certain Independent
organizations, like the ] w w, now having
its troubles in New Mexico and Arizona
are upon the outside"
To use the parlance of the political work.
er, the GomperSites appear to be "taken
care Of" for the present. while the inde.
pendents play second fiddle, and the I. w,
w stand to face bayonets in the hands of
United States soldiers. 1t is this situation
that is troubling the well.wishers of labor
who observe an increase In the ranks of the
Socialists even among American cltizens
VINO hitherto had nothing but contempt for
that party. Instances are cited where mill
owners have been asked to undertake. large
contracts for the Government who with
due precaution, have first called i'm their
employees to find out whether the contract
could safely be undertaken with assurances
that labor would not strike, In one case
where there was such an understanding and
a strike ensued after the contract was un-
dertaken. Washington mediators are said
TO nave stepped in with an agreement to
pay the employers a sufficient increase on
the contract price 10 make good the increase
in wages demanded. II this is a true story
IL may help to explain the complacency of
Mr. Gompers and the members of the
unions. But there is another story which
relates to cantonments, and that is that
union labor has been receiving the highest
wages demanded from certain contractors
| whereas work has Jagged on other contracts
| where the attempt has been made to get
along with nonunion labor, If organized
labor influence with the Administration and
| with the Council of National Defense is so
| powerful at the present time when few en-
| pioyers anywhere are able to resist wage
demands 1t may still further help to ex.
| plain the complacency of Mr.. Gompers
1t is of passing interest, however in con-
| nectlon with the armed control of the 1900
| or more International Workers of the World
| in Arizona and New Mexico that neither Mr.
| Gompers nor any Of the great labor organ
| izatlons have recently had much to say
| about what, in normal times, would have
| been promptly denounced as an outrage
| upon the right of men to strike. There does
not appear to have been much In the Ari-
zona mine trouble except that the miners
who were receiving as high as Sc
| day decided not to work, For this, if'the
| statement OF their attorney is to be he
lieyed. they were taken from their homes by
| armed men, were driven out of town in cat.
| tie cars and finally put under military
| guard, 1t was such an incident in the case
| OF the Colorado miners some years ago that
| induced Mr.. Gompers and many labor lead
| ers to besiege Congress with a multitude
Of grievances. The right of labor to work
| or not to work was then proclaimed from
the housetops. In the present Instance little
is heard from orgapized labor An defense of
| that principle, while socialism continues to
| gain recruits.
Those who have been watching labor de.
| yelopments for series of years are won
dering whether the great struggle between
| capital and labor, now temporarily oblit-
Grated by the opportunities as we'll as the
necessities OF war, Will break in all its fury
when the problems incident to the close Of
/ war come w TOR edjuatment
z. AAlaP3oN MooAA, =