The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-03-02

WASHINGTON,= :Feb. 2S.--Declar-
ing capital and labor have the nation
by the throat, Senator McCumber.
North Dakota, late Monday urged
passage of his labor CONSUMPTION bill
in the senate. =
McCumber declared profiteerins was
encouraged and acquiesced in by the
government. and warned that unless,
steps were taken to correct the evil
the American people would be heard
FROM
The "saturnalia of extravaganza" at
the Hog island shipyard. he cited as
the browning instance.
Scores Hog Island Deal. -, -.
Declaring'everythin connected with
the Hog island shipyard, from the
purchase of the land on which it is
located to the present 'Dxemplified
the hog nature of man." McCumber
continued:
After this land had been pur-
chased and the foundation laid upon
graft, it was but natural that the
superstructure should be in harm ony
with the foundation and every act
every contract, every expenditure for
material or labor has been wildly ex-
travagant."
Turning to labor McCumber
charged that labor in specific ship
yards, particularly riveters, was slack
ing. He asserted where it used to
cost the government $400 to get 10,-
900 rivets driven it was now costing
s2,175.
He asserted that there are over
100000 men in the nation who are
not engaged in remunerative labor
and that 100000 more> could be OBJ
tanned by substituting women in Ger
tain lines Of employment which they
can easily perform.
Robbed On Land Sale. -
Turning" again to the Hog Island
episode, McCumber continued:
'Fhe land, as am informed, was
assessed and paid taxes on base
value of about 500 an acre. It was
sold to the government for $4,000 an
acre. This single holdup of the gov
eminent will probably cost 1t not less
than $30,o00,0oo.
Government To Blame.
EVERY man who holds up the gov
eminent in this time of danger. COM
mits a crime, and every government
official who stands by, armed with
the power to prevent such acts against
the government and allows them to
continue is a participant in. that
crime. Every official who signs such
contract, every official who pays, is
guilty of assisting in .despoiling his
own government and the congress Of
the United States which takes no step
after the facts are established to stop
this spolliation can not clear it's skirts
from blame"
McCumber described the bill he in
troduced last month providing for
registration and organization into
units of all male citizens over Is and
under 81 years of age not called for
military service, who should be sub
ject to the call of the government for
service in the transportation and pro-
duction of ships and munitions as the
l. government might require them.
Labor is Defended.
Senator Hollis, Democrat, New
Hampshire, replying to McCumber,
denied the Indictment against labor.
Referring particularly to Hog island,
he charged that capitalists were
largerly to blame for not affording
workmen proper facilities for work.
1.-The senator from North Dakota
he said, Charges that the labor OF
the United States is unpatriotic.
deny that charge most emphatical1y
I wish to say word about the specific
case at Hog Island.
Labor has not yet been heard from
in regard to the Hog island inquiry
The shipping board turned to the cap
! tains of industry of this country. Then
the evidence comes in that they have
been wasteful and extravaganza about
it. When these men are charged with
extravaganza, they try to lay it on or.
! ganized labor and to say they are MOI
driving as many rivets as they did he.
! fore. .....,:. .-.-
MY information is that laborers
have been taken there and kept, with:
out having a chance to work, for. da,
after day; there is 70 Mace fol, them
to live, except miles and miles away
I am told that the rivets that have
been furnished by the capitalists are
| dof;cient.5- that they can mot hi