The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-07-28
NO LET DOWN ON
THE LABOR LAWS
Future Generations Must Be
Carefully Safeguarded.
PRESERVE THE CHILDREN

Suggestions by Some Employers of a
, General Suspension of Labor Laws
During the War Meet With Little
Response eompers' Rejected Offer
Proves the Insineerity OF Greed.
Some narrow minded employers have
intimated that the needs of the country
were going to be so great that every
ounce Of productive power will be
needed and therefore that there should
be a general suspension of labor laws.
This is one of the straws that indicate
that there are some employers In our
land who can never forgive the wage
earners for organizing. lettering their
own condition, and, to a certain ex-
tent, shaping their own destiny, in
stead Of having theirlwhole lives regu-
lated for them from start to finish by
employers who look upon them as
something less than human beings en-
dowed with the right to life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness"
1t has been suggested that the child
labor laws should be suspended during
the period of the war as well as laws
relating to the labor of women and
minors 1t is reported that Samuel
Gompers, in a conference at which
these matters were discussed, and In
which certain employers advanced the
idea Of repeating or suspending all Ia
Dor laws, offered the suggestion that
he, Gompers, would use his influence
to have the operation of any labor laws
suspended whenever requested so to
do by the president of the United
States.
President Gompers explained after
ward that he offered this suggestion as
a means Of testing the sincerity Of the
employers who wanted the labor laws
repealed. The suggestion of Mr.. Com
pers was rejected, thus proving appar-
emily that they were not interested in
having a labor law set aside when
there was the necessity for it, but they
wanted to wipe them out altogether,
thus giving the employers free op-
portunity to decrease the effectiveness
of the labor unions during the war.
1t has been said by employing inter
ests In our country that England had
found 1t necessary to suspend all the
labor la s7s, and It has teen particularly
said that England had suspended all
child labor laws. At a recent confer
ence in Washington during the time of
the visit OF tine English and French
commissioners Mr. Thomas. represent
ing English labor on the commission,
said that it was not true that England
had suspended its child labor laws.
Mr.. Thomas further said that he
hoped it was not necessary for Eng
land to receive the military support Of
the United States at such tremendous
sacrifice as the repeal of the child labor
laws would entail The gentleman
said that the essence of the struggle is
for the future generation, for the pres
ervation of liberty and free institutions
for those that come after us.
Inc Cnllufeu Oh lOudE are tine SeAeld-
ton Of the future, and no nation can
afford to sacrifice its future citizenship
by breaking down the child labor laws,
the passage of which has been secured
only after long years Of effort and
which operate as a wholesome restraint
upon the greed of employers who are
willing to coin future flesh and blood
into profit in dollars,
Let US preserve the future genera
ton. We can better afford to make
any sacrifice of the adult population
than to blight the lives of the children
to the impairment of our future citizen
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