Denver labor bulletin., 1918-01-26
BY LAURENCE TODD
Especial Representative The Denver Labor
BuIIetiuD

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21.-Organ-
lied labor is forcing the issue of the
American public against the meat
packers. 4 delegation of fifteen rep
resentaCives OF the Chicago Federation
Of Labor, headed by John Fitzpatrick
and Ed NOckels, president and secre-
tary Of the Federation, and accompa-
MED by Frank p. Walsh as legal ad-
wiser. is in Washington urging that
the government take possession of the
packing plants and operate them in
the public interest.
This delegation had a talk with
President Wilson. Fitzpatrick and
Samuel GOmpers put the case up to
the President in these terms:
There are 100000 workers in the
packing industry, 10000 of them in
Chicago and 10000 in the various
other cities from St. Paul to Calves
ton.
The Presidents special labor com
mission negotiated a settlement. on
Christmas day, between the workers
and the packing plant owners of the
wage demands by the men. The
companies have violated that agree
ment.
Put 1t Up To President
Now organized labor proposes that
either the government shall force the
packers to keep their agreement as TO
wages, without further evasion and
trickery, or that the government shall
settle the dispute once and for all by
taking possession of the industry The
packing plant workers have no fear
of public ownership. And the recent
Buffalo convention of the A. F. of L.
decided that the question of endors-
ing public ownership of an industry
was one to be settled primarily, so
far as labor is concerned, by those
who work in that particular industry.
We put it up to President Wilson,"
said Fitzpatrick. afterward. ''and he
replied that of course he had to Sc
cure his information on any such sub
ject thru a good many different
sources. before he could fairly take
any action. He said that he would see
whether the secretary Of labor might
not be able to revive the agreement
which was made in Chicago, covering
the packing industry, and he would
investigate the whole question which
we had presented"
The delegation did not venture an
opinion Of what the President was
likely TO do about public operation of
the business, if the packers continued
to evade and violate the wage agree
ment.
Il believe that miracles are rare"
was the way that Fitzpatrick eX-
pressed his doubt that the packers
would now mend their ways.
Disregard Human Rights.
is union recognition one of the
points in dispute?" your correspond
ent asked him.
The packers have not risen to
level where we would care TO recog-
nize them" he retorted. I'VE do not
claim the records that the packers
have made-their utter disregard for
the human rights of the hundred thou
sand employees. their violations of law
right and left, their attitude of caring
for absolutely nothing in the world
but their own private profits. All that
we ask. and all we are fighting for, is
that some Justice be done to those who
work in the packing industry. They
are patriotic and sef-respecting
American citizens, supporting their
families by their own daily labor, and
feeling that they have a direct and
permanent interest in the affairs of
this country. No, they are not asking
that the packers recognize them; they
ask that the facts in the packing bust
ness be known, and conditions cleaned
up"
Settle or Get Out"
The Federal Trade Commission has
gathered a great deal of information,
in the past year, concerning the costs
of the packing industry, This includes
the details of labor costs in all of the
departments of all of the plants. The
President can easily ascertain the
truth of the statements made by the
delegation from the Chicago Fedora
tion of Labor, as to the way in which
the packers have ground the face of
their employees.
1t is not a safe prediction, just yet,
that the President will take over the
packing industry, as some of his ad-
visers have urged. He is very reluct-