Denver labor bulletin., 1917-03-17
by LAURENCE TODD

Denver Labor Bullefin.)
WASHINGTON, March 12.-Mili-
tary conscription, within certain lin
its, will probably be authorized by the
extra session of congress which has
been called for April 16. Whether
men will be conscripted to operate the
railroads, the shipyards, the munition
plants, the steel mills, the coal mines
and so forth, is not yet decided. The
chances are that the administration
will, within few weeks after the be-
ginning of war, declare for industrial
conscription. This is the real peril
against which the responsible heads of
the trade unions are going to try to
defend their. organizations. Conscrip-
ton wipes out all union rules, all priv
ileges established by years of strug-
gle, and establishes an arbitrary con-
dition of industry in which the admin
istrative power is absolute.
Democratic management of the in
dustries has been a dream of trade
union idealists for more than half n
century. Except in the European CO.
operative associations il has remained
n dream. Now that Secretary of the
Navy Daniels is considering the TAX
ing over of all Eastern shipyards by
the government, and many other in
dustrial enterprises will probably fol-
curing an agrcement-a sort of indus
trial treaty-between the labor organ
izations and the government, whereby
n reasonable administration Of these
plants will be guaranteed thru this
plan of direct representation. Given
n voice in the boards which will run
the plants, even under naval or mill
tary control. the workers in the plants
will be unlikely TO find themselves
4 bal NHaa
protest against the conditions i'm
posed upon them.
British Labor Sings Treaty.
British trade unions actually signed
n treaty two years ago with Lloyd
George. Later II was made part Of
the British munitions act Their treaty
with the government provided in re-
turn for their wAiving all of their old
rules concerning the employment of
apprentices. limitation of output, han
ding of machines. and hours Of labor,
for the period Of the war. the govern
ment would see that these rules were
restored to full force and effect after
the war. Today the unions are con-
WINGED that the old conditions will not
return. and hence the old rules will be
useless. They are deciding that they
will ask the government TO give them
direct representation in the manage
rnent Of govcrnmcnt-controlle indus
tries. instead of the old rules. With
their own spokcsmcn on the boards.
they will influence the management to
make new and more favorable terms
with organized labor when the war
In over.
The chief difficulty with this plan in
the present emergency conference of
American trade union heads is that
these officials have no instructions on
the point from the membership. They
are under standing orders from the
membership TO safeguard what has
been won. Any venture into new
methods of handling the fight for
better conditions must proceed slowly
and cautiously.
Government Recognition
Mr.. Gompers. who has been working
with the Counsel of National Defense,
rs representative of the labor move
ment, in an attempt TO classify the
labor resources of the nation for the
possible needs of wartime, wants to
see the labor organizations get every
possible advantage out of the situa-
ton. He regards these days as offer
ing the chance of century for the
labor movement officially TO secure
government recognition. He thinks
that its power may be doubled. If n
policy Of cooperation can be agreed
upon Democratic management
seems to offer the solution.
Conscription by the navy depart