Denver labor bulletin., 1918-12-14


are dismissing men wholesale. Men
lie workers in the war industries find
en- hundred cases now before the war
come to settlement, because the board
will be dissolved if the employers in a
series of typical cases defy the gov
ernment to dictate their industrial con-
ditions.
Bethlehem Steel will probably be
the pivotal case, and Charles NJ.
Schwab will determine = possibly
within the next few days-whether
the award made by the board shall be
treated as a serious obligation upon
the company or as another scrap of
paper If the award is torn up by
Schwab, as now seems likely to han
pen, then industrial war is on eyerv-
where.
Steel Plant Unionized.
There are 10000 men at the Beth
lehem Steel plants For months he
work of unionizing them has been
steadily going forward, but it is stiIl
far from completed. Shop commit
tees, provided in the award made bv
the board, have been organized. The
men have got taste of industrial
freedom; how far they will defend this
freedom will be demonstrated If and
when Schwab announces the return of
industrial autocracy. Thousands Of
them have already been discharged.
including a large percentage of the
union men, The discharged men are
IN an angry mood
Employment for Soldiers.
Unless the American labor NOVA
ment takes quick and effective action
the situation is going to be compli-
Gated by the discharge of millions Of
men from the army. The California
state Federation of Labor, in the re-
port OF its reconstruction COMMITTEES
mas called for the representation Of
these discharged soldiers in all Iahor
councils thruout the country. What
may result from the failure of CEN
tral labor bodies to see that the union
men among these soldiers shall prn-
eeed to organize them, locally and ma
Ionaily' Tor the handling of the prob
lem Oh work for soldiers, may be
guessed from the remarks made at q
reconstruction conference in New Yorlr
City today by Nathan A. Smyth. as
slstant director general of the United
states employment service.
Inc employment service he said
mas been called to stand with Others
at the Chauoeau Thierry of the de-
fense of this country against the in
curranee of Bolshevism. To succeed.
1t needs help. In no spirit of pessi,
mism, but with abounding confidencs
In the ability of this country to meet
any Dangers for which it is prepared.
with threatened evils, and take stems
to meet them"
Boishevism Invited.
What are these dangers, peril of
this Bolshevism, for which we must
be prepared, if we are to remain safep
Smyth explains that we are flooding
the country with jobless men. There
is no good reason for period of great
unempioyment, If those who have the
power to control demobilization Of the
army. and those who have power to
give employment in the manufactur-
ing industries, will keep their heads.
But the manufacturers are waiting
Tor possible better conditions-lower
interest rates on borrowed capital. and
lower wages-before launching new
industrial schemes. And the war de-
partment has not waited until iobs
should be found for the men in the
camps IN TINS country before turning
them loose More than 100000 Of
these soldiers are to be sent home
from the camps as rapidly as their
oncers can prepare the papers, Be
hind them the million already ordered
home from France are being hurried
across the ocean for distributor 10
the camps where they will be held for
short while.
Discharged Soldiers Soon Broke"
The soldiers are being mustered
out on few days notice. Smyth de-
eiared, wsSh no advance of paw: given
IN money the cost of transportation to
their homes, free to buy tickets wher-
ever they please.
Already they are turning up in the
cities improvident, broke away from
home, without work, applicants for
yet want work Many others are un-
willing to take the day labor Jobs
which alone they can find. There is
every prospect that unless remedial
measures are promptly taken the
sight of stranded, workless, moneyless