The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-02-11
BOTH THE ACTIVE CAP|TAL|ST|C AND
WORKING CLASSES GIVEN CENSURE
FIRST ELEMENT is ADVERSELY CRITICIZED FOR AL.
LEGGED EFFORTS AT EXPLOITATION AND THE
LABOR ELEMENT is ADMONISHED NOT TO De
MAND UNUSUAL THINGS WHILE THE
NATION is AT WAR.

Washington, Feb. 11.--Elimination of
protiteering, the eight-hour day, less in
consistency between "our democratic
purposes in this war abroad and the
conduct of some of those guiding in
dustry at home" and the recognition
of some form of collective relationship
between capital and labor as a prin-
ciple in national labor policy are
the principal recommendations of Pres.
ident Wilson'S mediation commission
which has just finished a survey of
the labor unrest west of the Mississippi
River, which the government considered
most menacing to successful prosecu-
tion OF the war
In return for this the commission
holds labor should Surrender all prac-
tices which tend to restrict maximum
efficiency" when it assured Of sound
conditions and effective means for just
redress Of grievances.
The commission, headed by Secretary
Wilson of the department of labor, went
west principally to look into the copper
strikes in the Arizona district and the
I. w. w, activities in the lumber dis
tricts of the Pacific Northwest. 1t in
cluded in its investigations however, the
dispute in the California oil fields, the
threatened strike Of Pacific coast tele-
phone operators the threatened strike
of packing house workers in Chicago,
and the street railway trouble i'm Min
neapolis and st. Paul
Generally, the commission found that
IN 90 b
sence Of healthy spirit between capi-
tai and labor due partly to the evils
mentioned and partly 10 IAN Irsound
industrial structure were -" main
causes Of the industrial difficulties aris.
ing since the war began, The commits
sion says that while sinister infu.
ences and extremist doctrine" have
ayailed themselves Of those conditions
they have not created them.
Says Labor Population Loyal
"The overwhelming mass of the labor.
ing population is in no sense disloyal," "
says the report
means Of correction suggested by
the causes Of the unrest itself, the com
mission outlines as follows:
81. Elimination to the utmost prac.
tical extent Of all profteering during
the period of the war is a prerequisite
to the best morale i'm industry.
"2. Modern large scale industry has
efTectually destroyed the personal rela.
tion between employer and eriproyee-
the knowledge and cooperation that
come from personal contact 1t is there
fore no longer possible to conduct in.
dustry with employees as individuals
Some form Of collective relationship be.
tween management and men is indis.
pensable. The recognition Of this prin.
ciple by the government should form
an accepted part Of the labor policy of
the nation.
"3. Law, in business as elsewhere. de
pends for its vitality upon steady en-.
forcement. Instead of waiting for ad
justment after grievances come t. the
surface there is needed the establish.
ment of continuous administrative ma
chinery for the disposition of industrial
issues and the avoidance of an atmos
phere of contention and the waste OF
disturbances.
-. The eight-hour day is an estab
hShed pollcy OF the country; experience
has proved justification of the principle
also in war times. Provision must Of
course be made for longer hours in
case of emergencies. Labor will readily
meet this requirement if its misuse
is guarded against by appropriate over
payments.
8. Unified direction of the labor ad
ministration Of the United States for
the period Of the war should be estab.
lshed. At present there is an unre-
lated number Of separate committees.
boards, agencies, and departments hav.
ing fragmentary and conflicting juris.
diction over the labor problems raised
by the war. A single.headed admins
tration is needed with fun power to
determine and establish the necessary
administrative structure.
&c. When assured Of sound labor con.