El Nuevo mexicano., 1918-01-24
COM P s
APPEALS To
R Q
DEFEAT HUN
Give Your All, Your
Very Souls Urges
Labor Chief.
SUGGESTS SEVEN
HOUR WORK DAY
Better Than Spasmodie
Industry Stoppage
as at Present.
(By Leased Wire to New Mexlcan.)

10y Leased wire 10 New Mexlcan,)
Indianapolis, Ind, Jan. 80
"A universal seven-hour day
during the period of the war
instead of present spasmodit
suspension of industries by thS
fuel administration to conserve
coal and relieve railroad con
gestion, was suggested today
by Samuel Gompers, president
of the American Federation Of
Labor, in a speech to the con
vention Of the United Mine
Workers. He made a fervent
appeal to labor to help win the
war at any sacrifice.
MI. Gompers' speech to the miners
was regarded as labor's message to
the country on the action of the fuel
administration. He prefaced his dec
laration for a seven-hour day with a
defense of those in high governmental
station who may have made mistakes.
They are prompted, he said, by the
patriotic purpose to win the war and
to think that the great transition
from peace to war could be made
without mistakes was asking the i'm
possible.
1.-THE order issued a few days ago
regard as an absolute necessity" he
said. you know there is a discus
sion to repeal or modify the Sherman
antitrust. law. / am not going to Of
fer any excuse for the railroads; they
have been lax so long, but the Sher-
man law forbade them to do what
the director general Of the railroads
has the right to do. The jam had o.
CURED and vas increasing and some
thing had to be done to relieve the
situation. II the ice king has inter-
fered there can be no help for that.
Would Like 7-Hour Day
81 think there is one mistake in the
making, and / trust it will be changed
or modified. l refer to- the closing OF
the industrial and commercial plants
of u country one additional day
each week. | think 1t is a mistake
to have a whole day, such as Mon
day, idle, and involving from Satnr-
day afternoon until Tuesday morning.
/ believe If the order were changed
so that instead of there being ten.
nine or eight hours as a days work
the same powers proclaim a universal
7-hour day during the war, better re-
suits would follow.
I'VE would have practically the
same results in the conservation OF
fuel and all other needful commodi-
ties. It would not do violence to the
history, the traditions, the work and
the practical operation of industry
and commerce.
II trust that the suggestion may
find Judgement somewhere and bring
about that change; but If it doesn't
] am going to obey like a soldier Of
America; I am going to yield my
judgment to the judgment and the ac-
tons Of the men in whose hands the
destinies of our republic are placed"
No Neutrality Possible
Mr.. Gompers said there can be no
neutrality in this war. you have
got to be either for autocracy or de-
mocracy," he declared.
Labor must make victory sure for
democracy" he said, but sounded the
warning that labor would not surren-
der the standards of life except to
save the republic; that no sacrifices
would be made simply to fill the
Of the rich with large profits.
On the train from New York to In
dianapolis, he said, he heard the
names OF many men suggested to take
the places Of those in responsible gov
ernmental positions but not one Of
those named he added, ever has done
a public service or expressed a word
or thought in behalf Of labor.
He mentioned no names.
Mr.. Gompers defined Bolsheviki to