The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-09-06
LABOR QUESTION
HERE IS LEFT
TO Government
Local Workmen Respond to
Appeal Of War Department
to Stick to Their Jobs.


It's efforts to keep up war production.
and consented to leave the labor sit
uation here to the war department for
adjustment.
The men had delayed a walk-out
scheduled for Thursday morning, until
Thursday night, in order to give the
government time TO act. Lieut.. Burns
of the ordnance department urged the
men to accept conditions as they were
until the war department could ad-
Just the situation.
Labor organizers urged the men to
consider carefully the matter before
they voted for a strike.
IF you vote to keep at your work. "
they were told, sit will be out OF re-
spect for your government, and not
out of respect for the money grabbers
of Richmond"
Paul Smith, state organizer OF Ia
Dor, told the men that the agreement
between the workingmen and their
employers, which would probably be
effected by the war department, would
include the following provisions:
? Employees shall not be discriminat-
ed against for utilization with labor
union. but employees shall not inter
fere with production by union agita-
ton during working hours.
The employers will not be required
TO recognize the labor organizations.
but will meet with. a committee OF
workmen from their own shops, with
whom they will adjust disputes.
7 An increase in wages from to IA
cents an hour. similar to that granted
by the Simplex company, Will be
granted the employees.
= The question Of the basic elght-hour
day shall be left to the war LABOR pol
icies board.
Burns Makes Appeal.
Lieutenant Burns who will handle
the situation here, made talk to the
workmen, urging them to stand pv
the government.
: 81 have learned that action would be
taken tonight for or against a strike
beginning tomorrow morning, he SAID
"I want to tell.you men that when you
strike you hurt the government more
Yhan anyone else You will be damag-
ing II much more than your employers
mo matter how disagreeable condl-
tions may be between the employer
and the employee If you strike, 1t Will
ghe impossible to give the men over
there the right backing. When the
government decided to send four mil
lion men abroad we had to multiply
our program for this year by four. We
are doing everything In our power
TO prevent strikes and speed up war
production.
zone of the cardinal rules OF the
War Labor Board is that there shall
be no strikes until the government
has first had a chance to adjust mat
tiers. The War Labor board is now
flooded with labor matters from all
sover the country. You must have
patience. After the matter is settled
by me and the War Policies board you
still have the right to appeal to the
War Labor Board, which is a sort OF
a supreme court. Whatever this board
renders in its decision will be absolute
and final.
IF YOU strike thereby handicapping
the government in the war production,
you will he seriously damaging the
prosecution Of the war
". s. Will Stand by Men.
There are a great many matters
before the War Labor Board and the
answer TO your telegram cannot be
sent immediately. 1t will take time
and you must be patient. | imagine
that you men in YOUR temper feel that
the situation Is so acute it must be
handled Immediately. l have inter
viewed manufacturers and have been
treated courteous'y by them I have
teen treated in the same manner by
the labor organizers. | feel that the
situation can be adjusted il given
II have no authority to come into
Richmond and tell the manufacturers
that they must have an eight hour
working day nor has any other repre-
sentative from Washington. The ques-
ton Of the eight hour day has yet to
be settled.
Il think you men know the attitude
of the administration. You owe it to
your country and to your government
to be patient. We are looking upon
Richmond as help in war production.
II am here to tell you that the gov
eminent will help you. l hope that
you will stay on the job. and not Sc
riously cripple. but back war produc-
ton"
Paul ]. Smith, of the Federation of
Labor, followed Burns, stating the
propositions which labor had accepted
for the sake of war production. Smith
said, Il have not misrepresented the
matter when ] told you that Wilson is
In favor of the eighthour day. On
war work in the munition plants they
are in favor of the eight-hour basic
day.
I'VE have been in Richmond try
ing to prevent the thing which you
men contemplated doing this morning.
" the employers of Richmond had met
you half way it would not have been
necessary for Lieut.. Burns to be here.
1.-The machinery of the government
is here and the employers refuse to
use it, They refuse to do any collec-
tive bargaining. They refuse to meet
any of us because we belong to a labor
union.
by going out on strike you might
induce some employer to beat the gov
eminent to 1t and give you eight
hours. but you cannot force a deci-
sion from the United States govern
.ment by going on a strike.
n II have done everything in my pc~-
er to bring about settlement, but
now the decision lies with YOU"
~ w. II. Miller, of the Carpenters and
Joiners. spoke briefly.
Bender, Of the Pattern Makers, and
,Leckler, of the machinists, also spoke
to the point.