The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-01-26
WASHINGTON FEDERATION OF LABOR
HOLDS ITS SIXTEENTH SESSION

ago in one of our newspapers that in
the U. S. alone, each year more than
a billion dollars is lost as result
of lockouts and strikes alone, and !
am sure that as an indirect loss oc-
casioned by bad feeling and lack of
whole souled cooperation, and true
desire each to work for the true in
terest of the others, that this war is
causing the people of this country
loss of several billions.
"Thls war between capital and labor
has cost the world in lives material
wealth more than all of the wars be-
tween nations.
81 know that it would be presump-
tious on my part in the presence of
those who have so much more prac-
tical knowledge than | have of labor
conditions and the present day labor
difficulties, to make any suggestions
as to the exact means to be used in
securing to the wage Garner justice,
and yet you know lawyers always feel
that they can give advice on any
subject and though l run the risk of
being told that "fools rush in where
angels fear to tread" 1 will venture
to make some mere suggestions.
First: Violence and physical force
never accomplishes any lasting good
in the labor world, and whoever at
tempts to settle his wrongs or Sc
cure his rights by these means, usu-
ally does his cause in the end more
harm than good. The only good it
ever does is to call attention to wrong
conditions.
Second: In a country like ours
where the people can have whatever
laws they sincerely desire, where they
not only have the power to change
the statute laws, but also the common
law, and the Constitution, and can
have men execute the law who are in
sympathy with the people and where
labor is in the majority that this last
ing peace can be worked out by law,
and it is wrong to try to accomplish
it by physical force.
"Study the lives of candidates for
office and vote only for those whose
actions through their entire past life
makes you know that they are hon
estly and earnestly in full and COM
plete sympathy with the purposes of
your organization | have mentioned,
and be cautious of the new convert
and of those who make loud and
many promises just before election
and who may only keep the letter of
their promises while failing to keep
their spirit and who vote right but
use their influence against you and
who spend their time framing laws
that appear to be for your interests
and fill them full of jokers so that
they result in good only to the great
employers of labor, and who vote in
your interests every time their vote
is not needed, but can be counted
upon by the predatory interest when
ever absolutely needed. Many of our
law makers do this so as to have a
record to show laborers at election
time and yet use their influence in
such a way as to be satisfactory to
those opposed to you.
81 believe that the only lasting
good that can come to labor is
through law and it's honest enforce
ment.
81 believe that one of the bene-
ficial things that can easily be ac-
complished by law by an active and
intelligent effort on your part is to
have federal law providing for a
universal eight hour day for all la
borers engaged in hard physical la
Dor in all manufacturing establish
ments which will exclude from inter-
state commerce all products of fac
tories employing men or women for
longer period than eight hours in
some similar way as provided in the
Child Labor Law.
"a federal law is just to the man
ufacturers as it places factories in
all parts of the United States on the
same plane in this respect.
"The time is ripe for such law.
81 believe that laborers have a
right to know what profits the large
factories make and l believe federal
tribunal should be established with
power to examine the books and TAX
ing profits as well as the cost of liv-
ing into consideration; fix minimum
wages for all engaged in manufactor.
ing for interstate commerce. These
are merely a few things that can be
, established by law and will meet
, with approval by large majority Of
, thoughtful citizens.
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