The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-09-06
LOUIS F. POSTS
PLAIN TALK TO
EVERETT FOLKS
On the Activities of the Depart.
ment of Labor in War
Work

Assistant Secretary Post of tn
Department of Labor with other of
ficials is visiting Washington, an
while here he is favoring our peo
pie with interesting addresses o.
war subjects.
On Labor Day he delivered tn,
Labor Day address to an immens,
audience in Seattle. He accepted
an invitation to speak in Everett
and, on account of the short notice
given, was greeted by a small bu-
appreciative audience at the High
School Auditorium last Wednesday
evening.
Mr. Post is convincing speaker
holding his audience in rapt atten-
tion throughout his address.
He told o. the causes leading to
the world war and vividly described
the events leading to the participa-
tion of the United States in the
conflict, justifying Americas entry
into it as being really defensive not
only Of our own honor and safety
but in defense of the freedom Of the
peoples of other nations.
He said this country and her allies
are fighting for democracy, not q
democracy in name but ir fact
Feeling taht many people did not
know what democracy is he gave
Abraham Lincoln's definition of it,
"a government of, by and for the
people,, Men living in community
must have rules of action governing
their intercourse with one another.
Those rules are the government OF
the people. These rules are made
BY the people and are made FOR
the people. Therefore a true de-
mocracy is just government for
it receives its powers from the con-
sent of the governed.
He said that President Wilson
had amplified the definition of de-
mocracy by declaring that it should
not only mean the political freedom
and consent of the governed, but
their social and economic freedom
as well.
He told of the conception and
final creation of the War Labor
Board, originating in the mind of
Secretary Wilson, and of the wonder
ment that an organization of two
factions in industry so opposed to
each other could be brought to such
of opinion and co-ordina !
ton. This board, as the public
knows, or should know, is composed |
of five members selected from the
ranks of organized labor, five from
among the greatest employers of la
Dor (and opposed to labor organiza
tion,) each five to select chairman.
This board to investigate and settle
all differences arising between en-
Dloyers and employees, their decision
20 be unanimous and final with the
stamp of the Government upon it.
# the board should fail of a unani-
nous decision the two chairmen to
select an arbiter from among ten
nen named by the President. If
he two chairmen fail to agree upon
IN arbiter the ten names to be
placed in hat and one name drawn
rom it, the owner of that name to
,e the final arbiter of the dis
,ute.
Another important move of the
Department. of Labor was the crea-
ION of a federal employment bu-
eau, whose duty it is to bring to-
,ether the manless job and the
obless man. This employment bu-
eau does away with the thieving
agencies. Mr.. Post
id not use the word "thieving,"
ut "fleecing" in the word he used.
ne object of this bureau is to move Z
labor to where it is {
,anted and is willing to go.
Mr.. Post defended the selective G
raft act (call it conscription if you c
,ish) as a democratic measure and 8
he fairest conceivable plan to raise +
n army. That army is working |
or the government. S
He chided those captains of in a
ustry who under the guise of pa f
riotism demanded the conscription =
{ labor and told them if workers are
YER consclipted the government will
rst conscript the places or plants
here they are to work.
He said that the conscripted sol o
ier fought for the common good k
nd that if laborers should be con- e
,ripted they would work for the a
overnment, not for the private gain T
other men. f
Mr. Post predicted that when this r