Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-11-13

Fl, right manifest wrongs.
IS Recognition Of the rights OF
small nations and of the principe
No people must be forced under
Il sovereignty under which it does
Is not wish to live
&c. No territorial changes or ad-
1ustment of power except IN TUT
therance of the welfare OF the
peoples affected and in TURNER
ance Of world peace.
FOR HUMANE LABOR LAWS.
TN addition to these basic principles
which are based upon declarations O
our president of these United States
there should be incorporated IN I'M
treaty that shall constitute the guide
of nations in the new period and con
ditions which we enter at the close o.
the war the following declarations, run
damental to the best interests OF al
nations and of vital Importance te
wage earners:
~. No article or COMMONLY
shall be shipped or delivered in IN
ternational commerce in the pro-
duction of which children unoer
the age of 16 have been employed
or permitted to work.
70. It shall be declared that the
basic workday in industry and
commerce shall not exceed eight
hours. -,
IS Involuntary servitude shall
not exist except as a punishment
for crime whereof the party shall
have been duly convicted"
~. Establishment of trial by
PRo1lEMs OF RECONSTRUCTION.
"Many OF the problems Of reconstruc-
tion cannot be worked out during the
war while feeling is so intense. Inc
situation and opportunities which
peace VIII bring will be without prece-
dent n ia of paramount importance
that labor shall be free and unembar-
raised in helping to shape the prlncl-
nles an dagencies for the future.
I'VE suggest therefore all prejudice
snd partisan spirit can best be eliml-
mated by demonstrating international
labor relations and thus bring to new
problems and q new era, activity and
cooperation unhampered and upper
verted BY. former alliances or old
feudS."
LABoR's PROGRESS.
Since the war began, the report
+. says, the American labor movement
has secured the 'best agreements with
the government that have been secur-
ed in any of the warning countries.
Considerable space is devoted TO the
a*titude Of the council toward prob
lens raised by the war which have
been engrossing public attention. Chief
among these is the much-dlscussea
suggestion for the consumption or
labor, concerning which the report
says:
DOING WARS WORK.
Immediately after the declaration
Of war by the United States govern
ment, an agitation was commenced for
the purpose Of organizing what was TO
be known as an Industrial Reserve. IL
was proposed that men in industry
should become part of semi-milltary
organization to be directed and con-
trolled by our military establishment,
to the end that those employed IN IN
dustry could be shifted from one loca-
ton to another. Because OF its mill
tay feature. the proposition was op-
posed by the officers Of the American
Federation of Labor. In the light OF
the experience CLEANED ~ foreign
countries now engaged in war, 1t ap-
pears LudL the SllIuS VI WI hOA . AeA'
not only been necessary but vital to
the carrying on of the great conflict.
Several plans have been proposed,
but none thus far has been accepted as
q proper solution of the problem. II
the war continues for any considerable
period, the question will have to be
met. The primary agency necessary
for dealing with proper adjustment OF
workers Is a national employment
bureau, equipped to give workers in
lprmatfon of employment opportunities
and employers information of available
and suitable workers 1t is one OF the
necessary and essential activities OF
the war that certain industries on occa-
sions are called upon to materially in
crease production, and, in this event,
some plan must be inaugurated to
meet the needs Of the government"
The report recognizes the POSSIBLE
ity that war conditions may bring
about a more general advent" OF
women in industry. Demand is made
that equal pay be given for equal work
without regard to sex, which the re-
enrf savs can he obtained only through