Evening star., 1918-01-23
|SEVEN-HOUR day AS
| PLAN TO SAVE COAL
Suggested by Gompers as
Substitute for GarfieId's
HeatIess Monday.

versal seven-hour day during the
period Of the war. instead Of present
spasmodic suspension OF industries by
tho fuel administration to conserve
coal and relieve railroad congestion.
was suggested today by Samuel Com
pers, president OF the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor, in q speech to the
Of United Mine Workers.
Mr.. Gompers' speech to the miners
was regarded as labor-s message to the
country on the action of the fuel ad-
ministration. He prefaced his declara-
ton for q seven-hour day with . de-
fense of those in high governmental
station who may have made mistakes.
They are prompted. he said. by the pa
triotic purpose to win the war and to
think that the great transition from
peace to war could be made without
mistakes. was asking tho impossible.
Continuing, he said:
Fuel Order a Necessity.
''The order issued few days ago re-
gard as an absolute necessity. You
know there is now q discussion to re-
peal or to modify the Sherman antitrust
law; I am not going to offer to discuss
the railroads: they have been Lax 50
long, but the Sherman antitrust law
forbade them to do what now the direc-
tor general Of the railroads has the
right to do. The jam had occurred and
was increasing, and something had to
be done to relieve tho situation. II the
icy king has interfered there can be no
help for that.
II think there is one mistake in tho
and I trust 1t will be changed
or modified. I refer to the closing of
the Industrial and commercial plants of
our country one additional day each
week. I think it is a mistake to have
a whole day, such as Monday. Idle. and
involving from Saturday afternoon
until Tuesday morning. I believe II
the order were changed so that instead
of there being ten, nine or eight hours
claim a universal seven-hour day dur
ing the war. better results would fol-
low.
7-Hour Day as Fuel Saver.
I'VE would have practically the same
in the conservation Of fuel and
all other needful commodities. It would
not do violence to the history, tho ira
ditions. the work and the practical
olCA dSA0h "a lhouSt1y du0 SOIuluSIVG.
81 trust that the suggestion may find
lodgment somewhere and bring about
that change, but If it doesn't I am 60
ing to obey like soldier Of America;
I am going to yield my judgment to the
judgment and the actions Of the men
in whose hands tho destinies Of our re-
public are placed"
No Neutrality in This War.
NJ ro~n~>. .nsA 49,. 80 =. -
neutrality in this war. "You have got
to be either for autocracy or democ-
racy," he declared. Labor must make
victory sure for democracy, but sound
ed the warning that labor would not
surrender the standards OF life except
fees would be made solely to I'LL the
pockets Of the rich with large profits.
It was here that he defended men in
high places. On the train from New
the names Of many men suggested to
take the places OF those in responsible
governmental positions, but not one
Of the men named. he added. has ever
done a public service or expressed q
word or thought in behalf Of labor. He
mentioned no names.
Gompers Defines Bolsheviki.
Mr. Gompers defined bolshevfki to
tremist OF extreme maximalists, men
who want all their dreams to come
about in one fell swoop.
After declaring that "the czar in his
palmiest days never did more harm
than the bolsheviki has DONE" he re-.
minded labor that it has its bolsheviki
in this country. He said there was one
organization that had so conducted it.
self that it was now without power to
make a showing. much less fight
While Mr. Gompers did not name the or
ganization, delegates said he plainly
meant the Industrial Workers of the
World.
The following telegram from Fuel
Administrator Garfield was read to the
this morning:
please express to convention my sin
core appreciation Of their action in
ratifytng by overwhelming vote the
Washington agreement, thus confirms
ing assurance given President Wilson
last November that miners would takA
this step as practical means Of assur-
ing uninterrupted work at the rnines
Hy this vote mine workeEs have proved
and h&He rAsponded most nnf1iofdnali, q