The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-02-09
FAIL TO. PROFIT
ByTHEEUR0pEAN .
LABOR TROUBLE
Anti-Labof Employers Refuse
to Deal With Unions ON
War Contracts.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7-Revolu-
tionary strikes in Austria have been
followed by still more important rev.
olutionary strikes in Germany, Bol-
shevikism is gathering force in both
empires. Recent dispatches show
that the same class warfare is reach
ing over through Finland into Swed-
en- and Norway and Denmark. Ar
thur Henderson, conservative Brit
ish labor leader, says that unless the
British government adopts more
reasonable attitude in it's dealings
with the shipbuilding crafts, it will
bring this country to the verge of
industrial revolution"
In view of these signs of unrest in
Europe, the insistence of the anti
labor crowd known as the National
Industrial Conference board, in re-
fusing to deal with unions in the big
war contract shops, is causing more
and more anger and protest among
union workers in the Eastern states
Like the Bourbons, these employers
never learn anything. Even the
White House is disguised.
Takes Lind's Advice.
Secretary of Labor Wilson has
just decided to make one more at
tempt to bring order out of chaos in
the relations between workers and
employers during the war. He has
taken the advice Of John Lind's COM
mittee, known as the Advisory Coun-
Gil on Labor, and has agreed to Gre
ate new conference, or council, to
be made up of five employers, five
spokesmen of the employees and two
spokesmen for the public, to be chos-
en- by the other ten. These twelve
men are to hold IAN early conference
with the view of reaching agreements
ON principles and policies which
should govern their relations" Sam
| uel Gompers has been asked to name
the labor members, and Magnus AL
exander, of the employers combine
| to name the five employers
Skeptical About Plan
! Officers of some of the internation-
ais dealing with war work are skep-
teal of any good coming out of this
| plan. They do not believe that the
| twelve men will be able to speak the
sentiments of the workers, the en-
ployers and the general public They
doubt that representatives of all fac
tlons will be chosen, and in any case
that the majority vote of so small a
conference will have much weight
with anyone.
This seems to suggest the possibili-
ty that large conference would be
better. For some reason or other,
no one has yet suggested national
conference of all labor elements, and
of all employing elements, to thresh
out their differences and to try to
reach an agreement or understanding
as to where the industries of this
country are going.
"No COMPROMISED Attitude
The presidents commission, head
ed by Secretary of Labor Wilson, has
returned from the West with a SER
les of valuable reports on definite loc-
al strikes or wage disputes, but it has
been merely a travelling grand jury,
dealing with a few charges only.
The idea of national conference,
representing everybody with an in
dustrial grievance, has been official
ly put forth. The trouble seems to be
that the employers stick to the junk
er notion Of mo compromise" while
the labor movement is less willing to
be led and disciplined, except for
fight than ever before.