The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-01-12
GOuRing By Packers.

GOugmg BY Packers.
Francis J. Heney of California,
who has been showing up the crooked
profiteering of the beef barons, is
gathering together the threads of the
evidence which the Federal Trade,
commission will present to President
Wilson, to show how the packers have
failed to perform the work for, which
the public has been paying them such
fabulous profits in years past. He
is going. to help the commission show
to the president and the country that
the-packers,,ssfnstead of stimulating the
cheap production Of food FOR the peo-
pie, have discouraged production.
treated the workers in the industry
like slaves, and have gouged the
consumers at every point of the road
from the packing plant to the din
ner table.
It looks as though: the government
would follow up the naturalization
of the railroads by nationalizing the
meat business.
full of reports that the coal distrib-
uting system, and probably the coal
mines also, will soon be taken over
and operated by the Fuel administra-
tor, has told congress that the gov
ernment will have to distribute the
coal, since the railroads and the coal
companies have made failure of it.
This brings up the question of what
the workers in the meat industry and
the coal industry will get out of the
change of operation from private to
public hands. The best evidence is
seen in the policy adopted thus far
by Director General McAdoo in the
railroad situation.
Confer With McAdoo.
Mr.. McAdoo met the representa-
tives Of the four operative brother
hoods last week, and talked over
with them the wage increases which
they had put up to the companies
before the government took charge.
When they were through, he issued
a statement containing these remarks:
'As a result of the discussion,
have determined to appoint a COM
mittee of four representative men,
whose regulations will be guarantee
of fair dealing to all, to make full
report their findings and conclusions
at the earliest possible moment. The
names of the committee will be an
nounced in a few days.
"As soon as the committee makes
a report, the director general will
render a decision which will be ef-
fective as to wages from Jan. i. 1918.
Every employe affected by this in
quiry may, therefore, devote himself
unreservedly and patriQtically to his
work with the assurance that his
rights and interests will be justly
dealt with =. I: " -
Wage Raise To BE Retroactive.
: This means, according to w. n.
Doak, vice president Of the Brother
hood Of Railway Trainmen, who took
part in the discussion. that four men
who do not represent directly either
the employees or the management of
the roads will hear both sides and
make recommendations Of wage
award. Whatever increase in wages
is awarded will date back to the first
Of the year. The brotherhoods are
we'll satisfied with the manner Of Di-
rector General McAdoo in this con-
ference. They do not look for any
but harmonious relations.
e'The first problem before the gov
ernment now is to get rid of the
freight congestion, . said <Doak.
after that we shall have more time
for conferences on matters directly
concerning the members OF the
brotherhoods and the other labor or
.ganizations in the business. But this
commission Of four men will go
ahead In the meantime to take up
the wage questions that have already
been submitted to the railroad execu-
tives :