Denver labor bulletin., 1918-10-12
PRINCIPLE INVOLVED ONE
OF IMPORTANCE. SAYS
FRANK MORRISON.
Standard Wage Plan Has Been
Abandoned as Impracticable
and New Board of Review
Created by Secretary Viii
son; Reconstruction Pro-
gram Is Proposed.
By LAURENCE TODD
Especial Representative The Denver Labor
HuiietinN

WASHINGTON. Oct. g. Frank
Morrison. secretary Of the American
Federation Of Labor. stated today that
he would 20 to Minneapolis TO take
part in the proceedings next Thursday
morning. October 10. before the joint
ehairmen OF the national war labor
board. The issue to be determined is,
first OF all, whether the national war
labor board is to exercise jurisdiction
over industrial disputes in Minnesota.
The state mediation commission.
backed by the notorious public safety
commission OF Minnesota, claims that
all disputes must be handled by the
state authorities. Those authorities
are considered bitterly hostile to or
ganized labor.
The principle involved in the case
OF the Minneapolis Steel and Machin-
cry Company, as well AS in tho street
railway case in Minneapolis and St
I. Paul" said Morrison, ''is of the first
Importance. II is the principle that
the national war labor board has jur-
isdiction in every part of the country.
No state can be an exception. The
war labor board is the governments
agency for maintaining war produc-
ton at the highest point, thru safe
guarding fair industrial conditions. l
am going to Minneapolis TO oppose
any attempt to interfere with its jur
isdiction."
Settle II on the Spot
Chairmen Taft and Walsh decided
TO so directly to Minneapolis when. on
last Wednesday. it was discovered that
the Steel and Machinery Company had
not been served formally with the COM
ria tni ~ ha z.sd ma
plant. and hence the hearing already
begun. here in Washington had to be
POSTPONED. As this was the second
postponcment of the hearing. the two
chairmen agreed that II would be only
fair to the Minneapolis labor and en-
ployer interests to go up there and
settle the business on the spot
Meanwhile, the war labor board has
sent it's examiners to Duluth, to look
into the dispute involving the dock
Workers. dispute in which both sides
agreed that the Taft Walsh board
rather than the state authorities
should be asked to take charge.
New Board Of Review.
Owing to the refusal of the railroad
administration and the shipping board
to abide by the plan of wage stand
ardization which was being developed,
and owing to the still more important
refusal of the International Associa-
tion of Machinists and the Brotherhood
of Carpenters to agree, the war labor
policies board has virtually been COM
PEELED to abandon its standard wage
scheme. Now comes the report that
the President is to completely rcor-
ganize the policies board. in the hope
of getting results by a new method.
Secretary of Labor Wilson says, in
l.. II 4 - tar
field: 1--WE have built up within n
week or so, as the result of the desire
of the President to secure more stable
conditions in industry, board, the
title of which has not yet been de-
cided upon. u is board that IS to
be composcd~o Of two representatives
from each of the wage adjustment
boards that have been created by the
federal government. The purpose of
that board is to review the proposed
contracts or proposed wage adjust
of the adjustment boards, SO that when
they are finally annqunced they will
not be of such n character that they
will disturb the labor conditions under
the jurisdiction of the other boards"
Make Wage Just and Fair.
Secretary Wilson then asked DR..
Garfield, when reaching an agreement
this week with the anthracite coal
miners, to arrive at wage rate chat
will be just and fair, compared with
other industries" and that would not
result in either drawing men away
from other industries into the anthra-
cite mining industry. not result in n
movement in the opposite direction.
The secretary asked that the fuel ad-
ministrator submit the proposed wage
T.. -. IA.