Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1918-12-13
Secretary of Labor Submits His
Annual Report.
ASKS LAWS TO AID TROOPS
Urges Fully Equipped Plants for Re.
turning Douehboys-Necessity of
Augmenting Worlds Food Sup
ply for Many Years, He
Declares.

providing for the colonization and
farming of the public lands of Amer
lea by the millions of soldiers re-
urged by Secretary of Labor William
B. Wilson. in his annual report to
President Wilson, made public here.
Secretary Wilson recommended the
organization of board consisting of
the secretaries of the department of
agriculture, interior and labor to SUI
pervise the general plan of coloniza-
ton and to effect it's operation should
the necessary legislation be forthcom-
ing.
Urges Fully Equipped Plants.
The report emphasized that legisla-
ton authorfz,ag such plan should in
clude the following provisions:
/. The possibility of commereialized
speculation should be eliminated 2.
Colonists must be given access not
only to land but to farms. not only
the bare soil, but fully equipped ag-
ricultural plants ready to operate 8.
The farms themselves must be welded
together into genuine communities by
provisions for roads, schools and mar
kets, under the general supervision of
the Federal government.
Secretary Wilson points out in the
report that the necessity of augment
ing the worlds food supply for many
years to come necessitates a more ex-
tensive and more intensive cultivation
of American lands. The soil must be
the chief working opportunity for
great numbers of the nations wage
earners he said.
Former Grants Of No Value.
The grants Of land OF. former years
to soldiers were of almost no value
to them, Secretary Wilson said, be-
cause of the extensive evils of land
speculation. The land granted to the
soldiers was speedily transferred to
persons, who resold it at higher
prices. For this reason the secretary
recommended that legislation that
may be enacted on this subject will
lay stress on titles and more upon
the actual use Of the land by the sol
II recommend the early enactment
of such legislation as may be neces-
sary to permit the preparation of the
public domain for this purpose. Such
legislation should provide for the pur-
chase of such privately owned areas
as it may be found desirable to add
to the public areas" he said
The report also recommends the
working Of forest areas along SINH
lar lines of the farming proposals.
Labor Service to Aid.
Secretary Wilson, in the report said
that the entire machinery of the
United States employment service,
which, at the writing of the report, had
more than 400 employment offices
throughout the country, would be de-
voted to the task of minimizing any
unemployment that might occur with
the return of Americas millions of
fighters.
Have Right to Organize.
Of the policies of the department Of
labor, the report says:
1.-The fixed policy of the department
has always been to acknowledge the
right of both employers and wage
earners to organize and to use it's
influence against abuse of organiza-
ton by either side. Upon this theory
the Cancellation service of the depart
ment has always operated.
TT is felt. however, that the rights
of organization and of collective bar
gaining are no longer In dispute, since
they have been formally adopted both
by employers and by wage earners
through the war labor conference
board.
Capital and Labor at Peace.
'SThe war has demonstrated that
American patriotism is not restricted
to any section Of the country nor to
any class or group of individuals nor
to any stratum of society. The great
need for sacrifice for the common
good engendered by the war has Inn
PEELED 10th employers and wage earn
ers I, .ay aside old prejudlces. old sus-
pia,ons and old hatreds. Both labor
er and employer have done this In SUI
preme measure during the past year.
In continuance Of that spirit Of sac
rifice lies the hope for the further at
tainment and development during the
DAVIS of peace of that democracy for
which we have taken up arms"