The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-07-13


all employers or all employees have
been suddenly imbued with brother
ly love, but | do believe the leaven
of greater brotherhood is at work.
The councils declared labor policy
is given herewith. 1t is all that
trades unionists could ask for or
expect at this stage. 1t may not be
always possible of fulfillment, but it
is indicative of the initial spirit and
viewpoint of some of the biggest
men in industry in this state:
at is essential to the coordination
of all the activities of the state in
the working out of war problems
that the productive power of in
dustry and labor be kept at the high
est attainable state of efficiency.
Believing that this is only possi-
BILE by the maintenance of the best
of industrial relations between en-
ployers and employees, we urge the
least possible disturbance of exist
ing labor standards. Realizing that
extraordinary war conditions may
arise which will produce friction and
may necessitate readjustment of
such relations, we urge that each
condition be met as it arises by a
spirit of fairness and frankness by
both employers and employees, and
we urge as a patriotic duty, resting
both upon employer and employee,
that the policy of mediation and
conciliation be the government pol
icy in the industries of this state,
and recommend to both employers
and employees that they use all the
existing machinery of both state
and nation in the conciliation and
mediation of labor differences and
industrial disturbances.
The Labor Committee
The choosing of the men who will
work with me on the labor commit
tee l have been compelled to take
them from nearby cities because of
the element of personal expense. l
expect to call this committee togeth-
er frequently and each man will be
at his own expense. | should like
to have had, every part of the state
represented, but the unfairness of
asking men to lay off from work
and travel clear across the state at
their own expense is apparent. I
am asking our people in all our in
dustrial developments in their local
ity that l may keep the members of
my committee posted on the state
of industry throughout the state. l
have tried, too, to place upon the
committee men from the different in
dustries most vitality affected by war
conditions-men of experience and
standing among their fellow crafts
men. The personnel of the commit
tee | have chosen is as follows:
Building trades, P. w. Dowler; tim
ber industry, j. G. Brown; mining
industry, VIM. Short; provision trades
industry, R. B. Hesketh; railway or
ganizations, c.. E. Spurgeon 90. R.
c.; printing and miscellaneous
trades, Geo. Listman; A. F. of L.,
Chas. Perry Taylor; state labor de-
partment, C. H. Younger; state in
dustrial insurance department, H. l..
Hughes. The metal trades unions
will also be represented upon this
committee, but their representative
has not yet been selected.
Just as the men in position to
"hog" the food supply have fattened
at the expense of the wage earners,
with no sense of patriotic duty nor
humanitarian consideration. so will
there be employers who will seize
the pretext of "war emergencies" to
extract the last "ounce of flesh"
from labor. There may be work
men who would take advantage of
the labor shortage to demand condi-
tions of employment which employ
ers cannot meet and remain in busi-
ness Public opinion will not sup
port this attitude of either employers
or employees. Thoughtful, sane con-
sideration of each vexing industrial
problem by both parties, and an ad-
justment that will insure the best
possible working conditions indus
tries can give, is the problem which
this committee will bend every en-
ergy to attain.
Labor has a golden opportunity to
figure as a powerful force in So
ciety, to be a dominant factor to be
reckoned with in the determination
of final, lasting peace. Let us
not neglect this opportunity.