The Washington herald., 1918-04-16
CONGRESSMEN
TALK OF LABOR
CONSCRIPTION
Discussion Arises Over the
Amendment Offered to
Sabotage Bill.

CONSUMPTION of labor was demanded
yesterday on the floor of the House.
Its advocates were met with q volley
Of disapproval.
Representative Cannon, OF Illinois,
protesting at the striking out of a
clause in the sabotage bill, which
would have prevented strikes for the
period Of the war. gave warning that
the situation eventually would have
to be met by more drastic legislation
than has yet been proposed.
Another Bill introduced.
Representative Miller. of Minnesota,
introduced a bill which proposes five
years imprisonment for either the
practice or advocacy of sabotage. He
said he meant his bill to meet the
situation which he declared so far
had been carefully 'ducked' by Con-
gress.
A considerable group In the House,
mostly Republicans, but with a few
Democrats. intend to keep pounding
away at q legislative program greatly
restricting the right Of labor to strike
Yesterday they met a considerable
reverse when the House adopted the
conference report on the sabotage
bill. after knocking out all reference
to wartime strikes. Desire of the
administration to have the bill en-
acted at once was an admitted factor
in the House action. however.
Representative Lunn, of New York,
a member of the labor group" told
the Cannon followers that II they at
tempted to restrict labor's right to
strike. the effort would be fought to
the last ditch. 1t is likely the labor
group-a loose organization of twenty
members, all Of whom are former or
present members OF organized labor
Will meet soon to consider means OF
lighting what they term the CON
scription Of labor propaganda"
Keating Speaks for Labor.
Representative Heating. OF Colorado,
member of this group, and the
father Of the national child labor law.
declared today that the growing
propaganda for conscription of .abor
was the most dangerous Hun doc
trine in the country" He said:
There are two labor policies for
the war: One, the labor conciliation
policy of President Wilson, and the
| other the labor conscription program
Of certain reactionary members of the
House and Senate.
This little group is the same or
ganization which for years blocked
| on child legislation, and which seems
| to be thrown into a frenzy whenever
anything favorable to labor is pro-
posed. 1t is the center of the insidious
! propaganda which is seeking to throw
| out the impression among the peo-
| pie that labor is not doing its bit,
niEInUnI
"A Cabinet member told me recent
ly that shipbuilders who had fallen
down on their jobs had sought about
for an alibi. and at last had come to
the plea that labor was to blame.
Capital Shifts Blame.
There is no doubt that a few labor
| organizations have been unreasonable
But it is time to realize that certain
| groups Of capital are seeking to place
all the burden of what failures we
have had upon labor. A reflection OF
this program is the series of labor
bills introduced-al intended to give
the cumulative effect that something
is wrong with labor. Labor does not
intend to stand for it further.
| I'VE have with us President Wilson
and the whole national administra-
ton. We intend to put this test tc
the men who cry for conscription Of
labor:
Let US conscript labor. Let us
also conscript the dollar
You will see the greatest scurryins
to the tall weeds our Capitol has ever
seen. There Is one place these mer
who want to put labor at the mercy
Of private employers cannot stand tc
be touched-their pocketbook.