Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-12-18
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER

washington, D. C.-Something like
a panic has seized upon the members
of congress who feel any RESPONSE
bility for the failure of the admins
tration to provide jobs for the millions
of war workers and soldiers who are
now being sent home The more they
inquire into the situation the more
anxious these Democrats become.
And the Republicans are not getting
any particular comfort out of the
facts, either. They have done no.
thing, and they have not seriously
tried to do anything, to meet the re-
turning armies with the certainty of
work at good pay.
The reason they are worried is that
the charitable organizations in some
Of the industrial cities are already re-
porting that discharged soldiers, with
neither money, jobs, nor any 1mme-
date desire to hunt for jobs, have be-
gun to congregate in these cities, and
to call for help in feeding and shelter
ing themselves.
Congressman John NJ. Baer, the
original Nonpartisan league spokes-
man in the house, was asked what he
would do If he could control the new
congress.
"Evolve a definite program of re-
construction" he anwered. The first
consideration should be given to the
preserved the opportunities in Amer.
lea and made our future possible.
"The discouraging part OF it all is
that the captains of industry, who
have coined millions out Of the war,
seem to universally accept the idea
that labor must return to the normal"
conditions Of wages before the war
OF all the learned critics and editors
none seem to have grasped the idea
that the world will not and can not re-
turn to the old order. Even If some
have enjoyed few luxuries and given
their children greater opportunity for
education during the past Is months
they will not be willing to go back to
the old conditions"
Would Turn Clock Back.
The big press reports that the pres
| ent meeting of powerful business rep
resentatives at Atlantic City under the
auspices of the United States Chamber
| of Commerce promises great things
for the nation. All business interests
have been cemented together in firm
union and the motto of this organiza-
ton is to be prosperity in peace for
the people Of the United States"
They are going to keep wages up and
thus avoid bread lines and what they
call "bolshevism." But analysis of
their proceedings show that big bust
ness has learned nothing and like
other autocrats forgotten nothing.
The closer union of the special in
| terests, such as the packers, the steel
trust, the coal barons, and others of
like character that prey on the pros
perity of the people, is certainly
sinister in itself. And their positive
program includes frankly the use of
the Rockefeller plan of shop repre-
sentation" to break up organized labor.
Their motto here is Organization for
employers: disorganization for EN-.
ployes."
| 1t takes little imagination to picture
the conditions of the workers without
organization and at the mercy of prof
| iteering phrasemakers. A good illus
tration of how little their phrasemak-
ing has to do with reality is found In
the speech of John D. Rockefeller Jr.
before the convention. He emphasized,
says the reports, that the community
as we'll as capital, management, and
labor was a party to industry. Yet
who does not know how this same
mans Colorado Fuel and Iron COM
pany has besotted, befouled and
Prussianized the state of Colorado for
years? The mining towns ruled by a
company sheriff of the other big min.
ing companies from which he draws
dividends are eloquent testimony of
the same kind. Even the so-called
Rockefeller plan adopted by the con-
vention as its policy exists to some ex-
tent in Colorado only because the
state officials whom his power cor
rupts will not enforce the state laws,
protecting workmen in the most ele-