The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-06-30
W0RKERS'W|L[:N NOT
TOLERATE TEARING
DOWN SAFEGUARDS
In Time of Stress, More Import
ant Than Ever Labor Laws
Be Upheld.

NEW YORK { TY, June 2S.-Su,-
pose tie United States could legis-
late for it's enemy during this war. or
suppose American financi.rs could
impose domestic policies affecting the
people of the enemy countries. If the
united States law makers and the
United States financiers felt particu-
larly cruel and vindictive, their legis-
latlon End their poll les in such a
case, Would be directed against the
great body Of the enemy people, They
would try to make the enemy work.
ers work such long hours and at such
exhausting toll and such little leisure
that those workers would be ineffi-
cient either for VIC. ling or for fight
Fg. t. ey would M ose such condi-
tons upon the women of the enemy
country that those women could not
be strong and capable mothers, that
they could not give the care and at
tention to their children which would
make the children the best citizens
and that permanent injury to the
the temporary injury to the mothers
and fathers of the immediate genera
ton.
DANUhAS3 DO"A OO1CSuuIUS.
Such case is supposed in order to
drive home the wrong and the alb
surdity of all the propositions that
have been advanced by law makers
and by moneyed interests of the
United st; IS to break down the SAFE
guards of the efficiency and rightful
happiness of American workers, men
and women. If ever there was a time
when such safeguards should be up
held and extended, it is naturally in
time Of national peril and stress.
England, for example, could possibly
afford, SO far as national existence
was concerned, to adopt a devil-take-
the-hindmo policy toward the graf
mass Of the workers when the English
national life was unassailed from out
side But instantly, that England was
assailed from the outside, she had to
amend that careless and absolutely
undemocratic policy and conserve the
greatest possession of any nation, it's
men and women workers.
AS al example of the intelligent
protest of labor unions against break
ing down If ID sane standards in
Am~rica at this time, the following is
quoted from a. recent statement of
the " cutive Board Of the United
Mine Wor': el of Ar erica.
1--WE hold that greater efficiency
will prevail among the workers if
the standards of life and labor de-
sired by the workers are both estab-
lished and maintained. Any lowering
of these standards means a reduction
In the productive capacity of the
workers both Individually and COL
lectively.'
Big Sacrifice Asked.
When American workers have been
asked 4 sacrifice" t. degree of in
dust-ial rights which they have so
far attained, they have been asked to
sacrifice something which the nation
itself could not spare. The labor
unions. for instance, are trustees of
the welfare and strength of the
working men an women of this ma
ton and of their children. They
nigh as we'll be asked to sacrifice
their health, their honesty and their
virtue as to be asked to sacrifice such
economic conditions as conserve
health and make honesty and virtue
tie order Of the national life.
This ouSht to be so plain to every
body that it seems that the superserv-
iceable servants of big interests, in
and out OF the legislatures, who have
so many times proposed breaking
down these standard have simply
gotten the habit. apparently they
have no other idea of self-assertion
or Of activity except to pluck some