The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-13
GOMPERS WARNS
B. R. T. RECEIVER
Industrial Autocrats Give Mo-
tive to Unrest in Labor
Ranks, He Says.
w. IT. TAFT ALSO TALKS
Right Of Collective Bargain
ing Defended by Ex-Presi-
dent at Meeting.


big gathering at Holland House sit up
and start thinking yesterday afternoon
when he declared that he has found
since returning from Paris a situation
here where men entrusted with great
Industrial transit interests in our COM
munity'' have said TO their employees
you cannot talk to us ana you cannot
labor for u.s. with the grievances or the
complaints that you claim you have
Although Mr. Gompers made no refer
ence to the threatened street railway
strike in Brooklyn, those who heard
him concluded that one Of the persons
the labor leader had in mind was Lind
ey NJ. Garrison, receiver of the b. u. T.
THE Industrial autocrat who thinks
he Is master OF all he surveys Is the in
centive and motive power for all the re-
sentiment that you find in people" Mr..
Gompers said. as everybody applauded.
Mr.. Gompers's speech was delivered
at luncheon which the National Civic
Federation gave to the Labor Mission
OF the American Federation OF Labor
and It followed an address by William
H. Taft, in which the former President
declared that In industrial democracy"
labor must have the right of collective
bargaining" 1t is the duty of employ
ers, Mr.. Taft said, to seek every means
possible in adopting rules, terms, wages
and environment under which employees
may work, following the rule that work.
ing men shall have the freest possible
opportunity to express opinions through
the men who represent them.
Taft Gives Credit to Gompers.
V. Everit Macy, president OF the Ma
Federation w o r.
The members of the commission present,
besides Mr.. Gompers, were James Dun
can, president of the Granite Cutters In
ternational Association of America :
Frank Duffy, secretary OF the Brother
hood of Carpenters and Joiners; John r.
Alpine. general president OF the United
Association of Plumbers and Steamfit-
tiers, United States and Canada, and Will
lam Green, secretary and treasurer of
the United Mine Workers of America.
Others present included Nine. Catherine
Breshkovskaya, who didn't stay for ali
the speechmaking Lieut.. and Mrs Theo-
dore Roosevelt Major August Belmont.
Henry L. Doherty. William Jay Schieffe
lin. ]. @. Phelps Stokes, DR.. John Wesley
Hill, Otto II. Kahn, Mrs F. Lothrop
| Ames Of Boston, Irving T. Bush. Frank
lin Remington. John Mitchell, Mrs Ar
| thur Dodge. Mrs. James Duncan. Condo
| B. Fallen. Miss Agnes Laut. Mrs Coffin
Van Rensselaer,, Mrs. Francis Mcneil
president New York Central Lines.
Mr.. Taft started with an allusion to
himself as "a bird of passage, a sort OF
rotary. gyratory animal caught on the
wing" all of which was to explain that
! they let him speak out of his turn SO
he could get away early. He paid a
| tribute to Mr.. Gompers and the Ameri
| can Federation OF Labor. and said thai
, few realize to what extent we all are
indebted to them for holding out for la
Dor during the war. He said few un'
derstand how much the labor mission
| which was sent abroad, did to preserve
the morale of labor in England, France
| and other countries.
TT was through the encouragement
they received from the Labor Commits
sion we sent over" he said. that We
were able. with other factors to wir
the war as we did. may say inciden
tally that the idea OF League of Ma
| lions was held out to these laboring mer
as one of the objects for which this wal
was being fought so that It would bt
the last war
Urges Cooperation with Labor.
1.-THE ranks of labor by reason of thi,
more important than ever before. con
ceive It to he the duty of those who oc
cupy r. somewhat reverse position Il
realize the changes that are going on
! All capitalists and laborites and the peo
pie between should welcome and encour
| age that part of labor which has a sens,
OF responsibility for the entire Govern
ment and the country, and that is to b.
| found in the ranks of organized labo
ployers to seek every means possible IL
adopting rules, terms. wages and en-
vronment under which men work. fol
lowing the rule that working men shall
have the freest opportunity to express
OPINIONS through the men who represen
them. The question Is for the creation
| of machinery by which men engaged IL
work may appoint representatives anC
have their representatives consulted II
everything that Is done That is indus
trial democracy In that industrial de
mocracy is meant that men shall hav
the opportunity to bargain with employ
ers as to conditions and what the condi
lions are 10 be-
Mr.. Taft, speaking OF the League o.
Nations said that women, the church
and those that support the church, anC
the workingmen OF the country are fo
1t. Labor, he said. with another chuckle
is for League of Nations on the sam,
principle that red cows give more mill
because there are more red ones thar
any other kind. So, because there ar,
more laborers than other kinds of folk
the burdens of war always fall mos
heavily upon them.
Mr. Gompers went INTO details con
cernins-the work of the Labor Mission
on the other side and It's accomplish
ments. and said:
II count it as one OF the creates
privileges to have had the opportunity I
help in the inception of this great sChem
which shall make for the worlds better
ment. You who know me or have hear
me, have heard me express myself. o
have seen the expression of my absolut
opposition to Bolshevism. either in the
DRY or fact. In theory It is a menta
impossibilty In fact, II It were pu
into operation, or could be, II woul
mean the decadence and the perversiol
OF the civilization OF our time. To IN
the destruction OF Samson when h
I pulled the temple down upon his head
is an example OF what Is meant by Boil
shevism. ] am unwilling that all tn
genius of the past ages should be throw
to the winds. / am unwilling that tn
service that have tried to give to IN,
fellows to bring a little light into thei
lives shall be destroyed because of mad
dening desperation And ] might sa
to you also-that II is well for US to Sc
that our own house is kept In order
There Is another element in our III