Denver labor bulletin., 1917-01-27
by DANTE BARTON.

NEW 1ORh, Jan. Z3-1here mas
just been issued from the govern
ment printing office in Washington
the completed volumes of the testi
mony submitted to congress by the
United States commission on indus
trial relations of which Frank p.
Walsh was chairman.
One of the first of the important
industrial acts of the Wilson admin
istration was the appointment by
President Wilson of this industrial
relations commission with the follow
ing membership selected by him:
Frank p. Walsh of Missouri, chair
man; John r. Commons of Wiscon-
sin and Mrs. J. Borden Hartman of
New York, representing the general
public; John B. Lennon of Illinois,
James O'Connell of Washington, DC.
and Austin 3. Garretson, of Iowa,
representing organized labor; and
| Frederic A. Delano of Illinois, Har-
ris Weinstock of California and S.
Thurston Ballard of Kentucky, rep
resenting employers. Upon the res
| ignation of Mr.. Delano, to accept a
place on the federal reserve board,
the president named Richard H.
| Ashton of Illinois, who finished out
/ the term.
Volumes of Verbatum Testimony.
When the European war was in
] its beginning and at its height of
| public interest the news of 1t was
| shared on the front pages of all the
daily newspapers thruout the coun-
/ try by the news of the hearings con-
| Quoted by the Walsh commission. CT
such tremendous importance were the
/ facts brought out by the commission,
so thoro, so inclusive of all phases
Of the national life and so all en-
I bracing in the character and inter
/ csts Of its witnesses were the hear
.nEs that the proceedings Of the com
mission were as vital and absorbing
Of the public interest as was the
I contemporary news Of the greatest
world conflict in history.
/ Here now, in the published volumes
Of the vcrbatum testimony, questions
and exhibits, is an encyclopedia Of
the industrial, economic and political
life Of the American people in their
present cycle Of development.
The inspiration Of public demand
and of public knowledge, out Of
which grew the chief acts Of the vii
son administration for greater indus
trial justice. was in these hearings Of
the industrial relations commission.
1t is impossible to understand not
only the economic policy of the ma
tional government Of this period but
the very spirit and temper and drift
of the industrial United States with
out linking them up with the search
ing Investigations of the commission
Power to Uncover Injustice.
1t is an incidental tribute to the
living character of the work per
Yormed that members of the British
governments committee on com.
merce and industry" to reconstruct
British trade and Industrial organi-
zation during and after the war (thc
reconstruction committee it is called
have sent urgent requests to the COM
mittee on industrial relations for sets
of the testimony to aid in the study
and solution of Great Britain's prob.
| lens.
The quality of the commissions in
quiries which distinguished it par.
ticularly was its assurance to work.
crs and to the economically least for.
tunate that the full power of the fed.
eral government would be used. tc
uncover injustice and iniquity rather
than to cover them or apologize for
them. The judicial poise" which
would balance one interest and view.