Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-22
Labor's Duty in This Crisis

~ marred by the first great strike in the
refusal Of $4,000 iron workers in San Fran
cisco to continue at their posts. These men
have walked out and have held up work in
definitely upon $150,000.000 worth of ship
construction under government contracts.
They demanded fiat increase OF SO per cent
in their wages. declined 10 per cent COM
promise and insisted that they would not
leave their case to arbitration.
In time of peace this would not be dis
quieting. There have been hundreds of such
strikes within recent years. and we have felt
only casual interest in such incidents. except
when they were staged at our own door. But
we are at We are Just beginning to
equip ourselves for a titanic struggle with
a powerful enemy. We are just beginning
to realize the vastness of our undertaking
and the necessity for throwing our full weight
as nation into the scales. At such time
the strike Of $4,000 men in one industrial
center. men engaged in work that is Of the
utmost Importance, is disturbing. We can
not regard 1t merely as local affair 1t is
national in its bearing. and the national gov
eminent is fully justified in exercising all
tho influence it can command in an effort to
settle the differences. A thing like this has
tendency to spread. Already the ship
workers of Seattle. who are at work upon
similar construction. have laid down their
tools. apparently out of sympathy for their
friends in San Francisco. 1t may be remem-
bered moreover. that these strikes have come
within month of the signing OF treaty
between the government and labor, a treaty
that was intended to bind both parties to
an amicable adjustment Of all disputes while
the war lasted. The Pacific Coast strikers
may not feel that they were parties to any
such pact and that they not repudiating
it. Even so. they union men. and it
was union labor which pledged itself through
&c mt oil M 20 81,
the government.
1t is the clear duty. therefore, Of the labor
leaders in the present situation to keep the
falth. They owe it to themselves and to the
great organization OF which they are spokes-
men TO take over the entire San Francisco
controversy and settle it without delay we
do not presume to say that the iron workers
Of the California shpyards should continue
at work under the existing scale OF wages.
We do not know anything about the merits of
the dispute or the justice Of the demands
which have been made. But we feel, as
most anxious people feel. that labor owes
exactly the same loyalty to the government
in this crisis that capital owes. that the SOL
der owes and the farmer owes And it is
the duty OF labors leaders to impress this
fact upon the great body OF men whom they
represent.
President Wilson fully appreciates the
Importance OF common basis of under
standing. whereby all interests directly af-
fected by these labor disturbances may find
way OF reconcilement. To this purpose he
has announced the appointment of special
commission, headed by Secretary of Labor
wilson, TO represent him personally in a gem
eral investigation Of conditions. This com
mission will spend several weeks in the West
comforting with labor leaders, EMPLOYERS
industrial Workers OF the World agents
State Governors and others who may be able
TO throw light on past disagreements and
exert influence fer future Industrial harmony,
so necessary to the successful prosecution
OF the war. 1t is hoped and believed that
the information gathered by this commission
will prove productive OF splendid results
when made accessible to the President for
such action as he may see fit to take in the
effort TO put a stop to these strikes