The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-01-27
COMPLETE REPORTS
ARE BEING. PRINTED:
Commission on Industrial Rela-
tions Issues Volumes on Testi-
mony Submitted to Congress.
(By DANTE BARTON.)

"a AAIA16 OLuSC Ill w dSllluStOu Tie
completed volumes of the testimony
submitted to CONGRESS by the United
States Commission on Industrial Re-
lations of which Frank P. Walsh was
chairman.
One of the first of the important in
dustrial acts of the Wilson admins
tration was the appointment by Presi-
dent Wilson of this Industrial Rela-
tons Commission with the following
membership selected by him. Frank
r. Walsh of Missouri, chairman; John
Il. Commons of Wisconsin and Mrs. J.
Borden Hartman of New York, rep
resenting the general public; John B.
Lennon of Illinois, James O'Connell
or Washington, D. c., and Austin E.
Garretson of Iowa. representing or
sanized labor; and Frederick A. De-
lano of eKntucky, representing en-
ployers. Upon the resignation of Mr..
Delano, to accept a place on the Fed
eral Reserve board, the president
named Richard H. Ashton of Illinois,
who finished out the term.
When the European war was in it's
beginning and at it's height of public
interest the news of it was shared on
the front pages of all the daily news
papers throughout the country by the
news of the hearings conducted by
the Walsh commission. OF such tre-
mendous Importance were the facts
brought out by the commission, so
thorough, SO inclusive of all phases of
the national life and so all embracing
in the character and interests of it's
Witnesses thu ri,
proceedings of the commission were:
as vital and absorbing of the public
interest as was the contemporary
news of the greatest world conflict in
history.
Here now, in the published volumes
of the verbatim testimony. questions
and exhibits, is an encyclopedia of the
industrial, economic and political life
of the American people in their pres
ent cycle of development.
The inspiration of public demand
and of public knowledge, out of which
grew the chief acts of the Wilson ad-
ministration for greater Industrial
justice, was in these hearings of the
Industrial Relations commission. 1t
is impossible to understand not only
the economic policy of the national
government of this period but the
very spirit and temper and drift of
the industrial United States without
linking them up with the searching
Investigations of the commission.
1t is an incidental tribute to the
living character of the work per-
formed that members of the British
governments COMMITTEE on Com
merce and Industry to reconstruct
British trade and industrial organiza-
ton during and after the war (the
Reconstruction Committee it is
called) have sent urgent requests to
the Committee on Industrial Rela-
tons for sets Of the testimony to aid
in the study and solution of Great
Britain's problems
The quality of the commissions in
quiries which distinguished it parti-
cularly was it's assurance to workers
and to the economically lea:t fortu-
nate that the full power of the Fed
eral government would he used. to
uncover injustice and iniquity rather
than to cover them or apologize for
them. The judicial poise" which
would balance one interest and view
point. and thus produce vacuum of
misunderstanding and inaction, was
expressly discarded by Chairman
Walsh. While a chief support was
given to the chairman by the labor
members of the commission. Mr..
Lennon. Mr.. O'Connell and Mr.. Gar
retson, there was a generally prevail
ing and notable harmony among all
the commission as to the course the
inquiries should take and as to the
conduct of the hearings. For the
fundamental and searching thorough
ness of the commissions hearings
great credit has been given by all the
members of the commission to Basi,
NJ. Manly. who worked to the front as
director of research and Investigation
Tor the commission and who prepared
and directed the most important of
the hearings.
In these eleven volumes OF testi-
mony and exhibits are presented the.
direct testimony of the chief or the
representative actors in all the indus
trial disputes and in all the industrial
life of the United States. The
opinions adm viewpoints, consciously
or unconsciously exposed, of those
same actors in the industrial drama
are presented and preserved as are
the judgments and points of view of
representative commentators upon.
and critics Of, Industrial relations,
The whole range Of industrial prob,
lens and facts. from the Colorado
coal strike to the tenant land situa-
ton in Texas. from the influence. of
enormous Foundations to the effect
OF collective bargaining among
workers, from the comfortable i--
norance Of Industrial problems en-
welcoming John Pierpont Morgan jr..
to the uncomfortable knowledge of
them penetrating the youn:; sweat
shop mother. Mary Minora-all is
covered in these volumes recording
the Inquiries and work of the COM
mission. No brief or reasonabl
lengthy review Of this vital document
could enumerate its disclosure even
in dictionary fashion.
The hearings there recorded, and
made living presentation of Amer
lean industrial life. were held in the
following cities: Washington. New
York. Paterson. Philadelphia, Boston,
Chicago. Lead Is. d. Butte, Seattle,
Portland. San Francisco. Los Angeles.
Denver and Dallas Of u,;+poesou ,<