Denver labor bulletin., 1918-03-30
UNJUST CRITICISM HAVING
BAD EFFECT ON THE
SKILLED WORKERS.
Colorado Labor Advisory Com
mittee Suggests to President
Wilson That Present Hap
hazard Method Be Sup
planted by All Labor Be-
ing Employed Thru
One Department.

Recently there have been state
ments in corporation daily papers to
effect that men on government work
have been laying down on the Job"
that they were not giving Uncle Sam
loyal support in the war drive. For
instance, statement like this has
frequently been given prominence in
the special correspondence of the daily
press: 'Riveters in the shipbuilding
plants are driving only seventy-five
rivets per day of eight hours, whereas
300 rivets is a fair days work"
This statement is only part truth,
intended to prejudice the public
against organized labor. The whole
truth would show that in the unsys-
tematized and indiscriminate form of
securing labor for shipbuilding and
some other war industries, plowboys
and like unskilled labor have been
sent to shipyards to drive rivets and
perform other duties requiring prac-
tical expert knowledge. Plowboys do
pretty well to put over even seventy
tive rlvets in eight hours, yet their
lack of knowledge in this class of work
is charged up to organized labor, when
as matter of fact organized labor
state of affairs.
These statements have been printed
IN Denver daily papers and were made
the subject of a lying circular issued
by Herb George, the Moocher, repre-
senting the phantom Denver Employ
ers Association.
This matter was taken up at a re-
cent meeting of the Colorado Labor
Advisory Committee, and resolutions
adopted recommending to President
Wilson that labor of all classes on gov
ernment work be mobilized thru the
United States department of Labor
The resolutions, copies of which have
been sent to President Wilson, Secre-
tary of Labor Wilson and others con-
cerned IN the best program of getting
satisfactory results and a full COM
plement of the right kind of labor at
the right place, are as follows:
Whereas, Much of the confusion
existent among the labor forces of the
United States appears to be due to
the compleNity of authority exercised
thru numerous boards or agencies,
claiming to be acting by authority of
the government, many of them dupli-
eating work, thus wasting time and
energy which should be conserved to
better advance industries during the
war: and
Whereas, The present duties of the
public service reserve and other like
bodies could best be conducted thru
the regularly authorized and ORGAN
lied United States department of la
Dor, which department is equipped TO
quickly mobilize the reserve labor
power of the United States: therefore,
be it
Resolved, By the Colorado Labor
Advisory Committee, that in our judg-
ment, much of such duplication and
waste, which results in confusion and
delay, could be avoided by centraliz-
ing this work in the United States de-
partment of labor, with Secretary of
Labor Wilson as the directing head,
responsible to the President, and we
believe that he would be in a better
position to mobilize skilled mechanics
and labor to meet the demands of the
various war industries; and be it fur
ther
Resolved, That this matter be re-
spectfully brought to the attention of
the President of the United States,
believing him to have ever the desire
to be informed direct from the people
as to what can best serve the nations
interest during the war being waged
to make the world safe for democ-
racy.
Resolved, That copy of these
resolutions be forwarded to the Pres
ident of the United States, to Secre-
tary of Labor Wilson and to President
Gompers of the American Federation
of Labor.
Signed: Clint C. Houston, Thomas
r. Henahen, John r. Lawson, W. F.
Hynes, Roady Kenehan, committee"
Bath, England. claims to have the