Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-18
NO WAGE REDUCTION
UNION HEAD WARNS
Pre-War Conditions Will Not Re
turn. Gompers Says; Advan-
tage Won to be Retained.

Laredo, Texas. Nov. lS.-The ad-
vantage in wages and hours won through
the war must be maintained, and organ
lied labor will fight 10 the last gasp 10
secure them according 10 declaration
concerning reconstruction, made from tile
Pan American Labor Conference by
Samuel Gon,,,crS its presiding officer
and recognized chlcttaln oi orgahizeu
labor IN America Mr.. Compers as
serted that hc was making this statement
with a full sense of the responsibility
il inv, lved
Mr.. GomperS' statement was INSPIRED
bv = recent utterancc by William ii
Barr of Buffalo. President of the National
Founders Association, that the eight
hour dav would have to be abolished and
wages materially lowered from their
present scale.
This is not the first time said Mr..
(ompcrs. that the ASSOCIATION OF which
this gentleman Is president, or the en-
pIovers Of America, have undertaken to
reduce wages and lcngthen hours 1t
was the policy of employers in every crisis.
industrial economic, and financial, to
try to force down wages and lcnghen
the hours of labor rs their remedy for
the misery of the people,
With the understanding of the re-
sponslbllitv which goes with my words,
notice is gwen here and now that the
American working people will not he
forced back by either Barr, his association,
or all the bourbons in the United States
The time has come in the world when
the working people are coming into their
own. They have new rights and new
advantages. They have made the sacrl
fees, and they are going to enjoy the
better times for which the whole world
has been IN q CONFUSION.
The American labor movement, whole
heartedly, supported this world struggle.
We went the fullest length in support Of
that struggle. and we knew what was in
volved And the Bars, whether 1t be this
individual or others of his type, must
understand that their dav of ahsolutIsm
In industry Is gone. the same as ahsolu-
tlsm in government has been destroyed.
"The American labor movement will
cooperate with all their agencies to help
In this reconstruction time. Our move
ment is not to destroy. but to con struct,
and all may Just as well understand now
rs at anv other time that the advantages
which the workers of America have gained
and the allied countries, and which we
hope even to extend ~ the peoples OF the
conquered countries. are not going to be
taken away from us, and we will resist
the attempt to the uttermoSt.
The Mexican delegates offered several
PROPOSALS based upon the existence Of
the European war These had been
limited BY their committee resolutions.
Mr., Gomper's peace plan of labor was
then taken up The Mexicans debated
the parts of ii which IN substance re-
nerated the declaration of the Intera!hed
labor program, adopted at the London
conference Of last September and relating
to the rights of nations and universal
freedom and nstIonal self-determinatIon.
They expressed doubt IS TO their ability
TO satisfy their home organizations Of the
advisa bilitv Of discussing international
political affairs at this conference.
a recess was taken TO enable the Mexi-
cans to debate the matter among them
selves, following which there was a unanl-
NOUS agreement upon MIR. Gompers pro-
posals, with the MexIcans reSeryIng the
right to submit them to q referendum
vote Of the Mexican labor Organizations
The representatives Of other Central
American Republics unanimously favored
the Gompers suggestions.
Mr.. Gompers then arose and. prefacng
his remarks by reference to the adoption
of his peace treaty program by the CON
ference, referred to newspaper dispatch
from New York, dated Nov. Il, which
contained the remarks OF Air Barr.
A permanent organization OF the con-
ference was affected following the pres
entation OF the report of the Committee on
Permanent Organization by Chairman
John r. Alpine. under the name Of the
Pan-Anerican Labor Congress.
1t was determined to hold annual scs-
sions in July, and the next meeting was
scheduled for July, 1919 81 Panama
Samuel Gompers was elected First
President of the Congress TO serve until /
the next meeting. and John Murray was
selected as Enghsh-speaking and Canulo |
Vargas of Mexico as Spanish-speaklng /
Secretary.
The conference adjourned after Prcsi- |
dent Gompers had again warned against |
the evils OF disorganlzation and Bolshe- |
vism and had urged unity OF purpose for /
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