Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1918-09-13
Labor is Exempt
CONSCRIPTION OF LABOR is
DEFEATED

Washington. - The conscription-of-
labor amendment to the new draft
law, proposed by Senator Thomas of
Colorado, has been rejected by con-
gress, following fight against this
measure by organized labor.
The amendment would place in the
army any striker who was unemployed
five days. This would leave the
workers powerless against every con-
scienceless employer.
The house rejected the amendment
by a two-to-one vote. In the senate
Mr.. Cummins of Iowa succeeded in
modifying the scheme by securing
the adoption of an amendment which
would permit strikers to retain their
draft classification where they re-
turned to work and agreed to abide
by the decision of the national war
labor board,
Because of these differences be-
tween the two branches Of congress
the matter was referred to conferees.
The house conferees refused to con-
slider conscription of labor in any
form and the senate conferees ac-
cepted this position rather than de-
lay the passage of the bill.
Labor's victory is more emphatic
when it is recalled that one we'll
known congressman assured a trade
union official that large employing
interests have been mousing around
here for month to secure a law OF
this kind"
"The Thomas amendment is un-
necessary and it's rejection will have
wholesome effect on the workers OF
our country who are so whole-hearted-
ly engaged in this war for democ-
racy," said A. F. Of l.. Secretary
Frank Morrison, who attacked the
amendment before a congressional
committee.
at will be noticed" said the trade
unionist, "that Senator Thomas sug-
gested no remedy to check profiteer-
ing employers. They may exploit
without stint, and if their employees
strike they would be placed in the
army, even though the manufacture
of munitions is lessened. When his
attention was called to this one-sided
position Senator Thomas said the de-
mand for workers would adjust mat
ters. In other words he would in
crease the turnover of labor-the
constant shifting of employes-Which
the department of labor and other
governmental agencies are attempt
ing to minimize. In recent speech
Secretary of Labor Wilson said that
the individualistic strike-the turn
over of labor-is causing greater
loss to the country than all the strikes
and lockouts combined.
"Organized labor knows the need
for continuous high speed production
in these times, and bayonet behind
every worker is not the solution
where contrary conditions may exist.
Senator McCumber of North Da-
kota, a defender of the Thomas con-
scription idea, made the acknowledge
ment in pleading for this amendment:
"The bad system that we have
adopted has been mostly responsible
for what Stacking we have in all our
productive industries today. This ac-
cursed proposition of cost plus is at
the bottom of all of thee evil in the
industrial world from which we are
suffering to-day 1t is not so much
a question of strikes as it is the
Stacking that has been encouraged by
every foreman, whose salary will be
prolonged by reason of the delay in
the work, and every contractor whose
profits will be enlarged just to the
extent that delays and Stacking is en-
couraged.'
"Here we have a SENATOR" con-
tinued Secretary Morrison, "whO
wants labor conscripted and at the
same time says that the greed of en-
ployers is at the bottom of all evil
In the industrial world
"Another point conscription-of-labor
advocate would make is that the
soldier is not permitted to strike, so
why should the man in civilian life?
"It might be said that if soldier
were treated as some employers treat
their employees, that army officers
would be court-martialed on the
charge of conduct unbecoming an Of
Rcer and a gentleman"