The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-08-25
THE DEATH ROLL
OF INDUSTRY
Thirty Thousand Workers Arc
Killed Every Year.
100000 ANNUALLY INJURED
Recognition of This Frightful and Pre-
ventable Wastage Should Be Included
In Any System of National Prepared
ness-Need of immigration Restric"
tIon--No Labor Famine.
BY FRANK MORRISON,
Secretary of the American Federation of
Labor.

Secretary of the American Federation OF
Labor.
It Is impossible to record fundamen-
tai gains during the last year. because
of organized labor's agitation, or to
lndividualize probable gains during the
year to come.
The best we can do is to observe
tendencies. Prominent among these is
the workers seizure of the cry for
preparedness" to emphasize danger
In industry more deadly than battle
fields.
Government statistics show that 3d.
600 men are annually killed and 700,-
600 are annually injured for period
Of four weeks or over.
It has been stated that every year
there are over 100000 cases of In
dustrial illness, caused mainly by long
hours, low wages, dust, bad air, fumes
smoke, poisonings and poor ventilation
and that Though typhoid fever and
malaria alone $900,O00,O00 is annually
lost to this nation-enough to equip
the largest army and navy in the
world and then have balance suf-
ficient to pay the tuition of every boy
now In college
A system of national preparedness
which does not include recognition OF
this frightful and preventable wastage
is the preparedness urged by big bust
ness. A morality that ignores these
facts and condemns war is based on
meaningless phrases.
Another present day tendency is the
acceptance of organized labor's post
ton on immigration restriction. Dur.
ing the last year the acid test of ex-
perience has verified the claim oftrade
unions that American institutions can
not assimilate nor American living
standards resist the food tides of in
duced immigration that has been the
policy of the captains of industry. In
formation and reports received by the
officers of the American Federation OF
Labor clearly demonstrate the fact
that tabor famine" exists only
where employers still demand long
hours at low wages and where they
ignore the living standards set by the
workers.
Another element, among employers
Hho talk of the scarcity of labor do SO
10 entire a sufficient number OF idle
workers to their factory gates as q
menace to those employed and VINO are
liable TO demand better conditions.
These employers oppose restriction oil
Immigration because restriction will
defeat their policy of having two OF
more men for every job
Another tendency is the growing op-
position to. labor injunctions, which
class labor power as property. The
congress of the United States has
voiced this opposition in amendments
to the antitrust laws. Judicial inter
pretations Of the term property in
the fourteenth amendment to the fed
eral constitution are losing their force
What was originally intended to end
slavery has been used to thwart the
enactment of social legislation, but
courts have failed to check the swell
ing tide of democracy.
The trade union movement is con
Scious of the part 1t has played in the
tendencies above referred to, and this
consciousness wall be an inspiration to
greater effort during the coming year
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