Denver labor bulletin., 1918-03-30
A LIED LABOR POLICY
DURING AND AFTER WAR
is TO BE DISCUSSED.
Wage Adjustment Board Has
Not Made Progress Because
Employers Persist in Usual
Obstructive Scheme of
open Shop" Talk.
by LAURENCE TODD
Especial Representative The Denver Labor
Bulletin.D

buIetin.l
WASHINGTON, March 26.-Eight
representatives of organized labor
held meeting here Monday 10 discuss
with government officials their mission
70 the allied countries Of Western Eu-
rope. soon 10 be undertaken. IL is
understood that this mission is 70 be
part Of a movement on the part Of
the committee on public information
to secure an exchange Of ideas be-
tween the people Of the United States
and the people Of England, France.
Italy, Belgium and Portugal during
the war.
The credentials of the members of
the mission bear the seal Of the fed
Grafton and the signatures of its exec
utive officers. The mission expects to
be abroad about six weeks.
The mission. officially known as the
american Federation Of Labor Mis-
SION" is composed of the following:
James Wilson, president Pattern
makers League of North America,
chairman: John p. Frey, executive Of
ficer. international Moldcrs Union Of
North America, secretary; William
Short, president Washington State
Federation of Labor; Miss Melinda
Scott, president Straw Hat Trimmcrs
and Operatives Union; Miss Agnes
international Union; William II.
johnson. president international As
sociation Of Machinists; George l..
Berry. president international Print
ing Pressmen's and Assistants Union;
Chester NJ Wright, member Interna-
tional Typographical Union; Martin
F. Ryan. president Brotherhood of
Railway Carmen.
Pldcing Soldiers After the War.
Their business abroad will be to
talk over, with labor representatives,
the questions of labor policy during
and after the war. in order that there
may be established better under.
standing and cooperation. The ques-
ton of how the millions Of soldiers
and sailors now in military service
will be returned to civil employment
without creating wholesale confusion
in industry. is to be one Of the funda-
mental issues to be talked over.
women's place in industry, and the
question Of dilution of skilled labor,
and the restoration of trade union
rules in the shops after the war-all
of these things will be taken up at
different times and places.
While the American delegates 20
abroad at the instance of the govern
mcnt, the fact that they are going
to address meetings of the British and
French and Italian workers makes it
likely that they will constantly be
asked their position toward the for
eign policies of the labor movement
of England. or of France, or Of Italy.
The question of where they stand to-
ward the holding of international la
Dor conferences during the war can
scarcely pass them by.
No International Meeting.
So far as is known, none of the
American labor mission favors an in
ternational conference. Johnston, the
only socialist among them, is opposed
to the holding of any conference at
which American and German or Aus
trian trade unionists would meet face
to face to discuss the war issues dur
ing the war.
On the other hand. the ntcr-allied
labor delegation chosen at the recent
London conference to come to America
to present the majority labor opinion
of England and France to the Amer
lean workers does favor such meet
ing.
Wage Adjustment Board.
Little seems to have been accom-
plished, thus far, in the brief ses-
sions of the board headed by express
idcnt Taft and Frank p. Walsh, which
has been trying to get employers and
organized labor to sign treaty to
cover all war work thruout the coun-
try. The employers spokesmen have
proposed the usual scheme of the
open shop, with guaranty that no
worker shall be "interfered with" be-
cause Of his failure to belong to n
union. The labor spokesman have
called for the eight-hour day and the
union shop.
That Is as far as they are likely to
get. Neither side can settle anything