The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-11-17
REPRESENTATION
At PEACE Meet,
LABOR DEMANDS
CONTINUED From Page One.)

Eight-HOur Work Day.
"2. It shall be declared that the
basic work day in industry and COM
merce shall not exceed eight hours.
20. Involuntary servitude shall not
exist except as a punishment for crime
whereof the party shall have been
duly convicted.
-. Establishment of trial by jury
MANY of the problems Of recon-
struction cannot be worked out dur
ing the war while feeling is so intense.
The. situation and opportunities which
peace will bring will be without pre-
cedent It is of paramount import
ance that labor shall be free and UNI
embarrassed in helping to shape the
principles and agencies for the fu-
ture.
I'VE suggest, therefore, all preju-
dice and partisan spirit can best be
eliminated by reconstructing internal
tional labor relations and thus bring
to new problems a new era, activity
and cooperation unhampered and un-
perverted by former alliances or old
feuds.
Basis of Reconstruction.
THE basis of reconstruction should
be the trade union movements of the
various countries. We recommend
that an international labor conference
OF. representatives of the trade. union
movements of all countries be held
at the same time and place as the
world peace congress- that labor may
be in touch with plans under consid-
GRAFTON and may have the benefit of
information and counsel of those par
ticipating in the congress-"
Employment After the War.
1--WE further recommend that some
action be taken by this convention in
sisting upon our government to make
such plans for rehabilitation so that
men will remain in the employment
of the government until they can be
provided with remunerative employ
ment through government employ
ment agencies, unless they have not
employment opportunities already
open to them"
Since the war began, the report
says, the American labor movement
has secured the "best agreements with
the government that have been Sc
cured in any other warning countries"
1.-THE agreements established a new
period in the industrial world" says
the report, "a period in which the
government has sanctioned standards
based upon principles of human well
fare and has substituted these stand
ards for the old system under which
profits were paramount"
Consumption of Labor.
Considerable space is devoted to the
attitude Of the council toward prob
lens raised by the war which have
been engrossing public attention.
Chief among these is the much dis
cussed suggestion for the conscrip-
ton of labor, concerning which the
report -says:
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 re-
serve It was proposed that men in
industry should become part of a
mimilitary organization to be di-
rected and controlled by our military
establishment, to the end that those
employed in industry could be shifted
from one location to another. Be-
cause of its military feature the
pAoPooASAOA "oo OPPOoCu NY O1lA"
GERS of the American Federation of
Labor. In the light Of the experience
| cleaned in foreign countries now en-
gagged in war. it appears that the shift
ing of workers has not only been ne
! cessary, but vital to the carrying on
of the great conflict. Several plans
have been proposed, but none thus
far has been accepted as a proper So
luton of the problem. If the war
continues for any considerable period,
this question will have to be met. The
! primary agency necessary for dealing
with proper adjustment Of workers is
a national employment bureau, equip
ped to give workers information OF
employment opportunities and en-
ployers information of available and
| suitable workers.. 1t is one Of the
necessary and essential activities, of
the war that certain industries on &C.
casions are called upon to materially
/ increase production, and, in this
event, some Plan must be inaugurated
to meet the needs Of the government -
! The Women Wage Farmers.
! The report recognizes the possibility
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 renort says