New-York tribune., 1919-09-03
Head of State Federation
of Labor to Discharge
Committee Which Urged
Six Monks Armistice
Not to Yield Strike Right
Denunciation of Proposal
Is Echoed by Other
Labor Leaders i'm CITY

James P. Holland. president Of the
New York State Federation of Labor
repudiated yesterday the report of The
Committee on the High Cost of Living
appointed by him. This report sug-
gested that an industrial truce be
called for six morths, in which there
were to be no strikes.
MIR. Holland said he would DISCHARGE
the committee at once and denounced
any abrogation of the right of strike
unless employers made some similar
concession. His denunciation was
echoed by other labor leaders through
out the city, Ernest Bohm, of the
Central Federated Union, being espe-
clally vigorous in his condemnation.
| appointed the committee at meet
ing held in Carnegie dHall some months
ago to discuss. the high cost of living"
said Mr.. Holland. ut was empowered
to investigate the excessive cost of
commodities, but was ordered to re-
train from taking up hours, wages and
working conditions.
The committee has overstepped it's
bounds in this report. Tomorrow I
shall dictate letter to John F. Pierce
and lsadore Einstein, the members of
the committees, discharging them.
1.-The committee has not kept me in
touch with its activities. | have not
been advised whom the members have
conferred with, and l was astonished
to learn that report had been drawn
up apparently by some 'outsider,' and
made public through the press.
Il have not even received a copy of
the report, and was not consulted be-
fore 1t was given to the press The re-
port would bind labor to give up its
right to strike, but does not bind the
employers to anything in return. I am
unalterably opposed to labor giving up
its right to strike unless an equal con-
cession is made by the employers.
Labor has been fooled long enough, and
1t does not propose to stand it much
longer.
Il shall not refer the report to the
executive council of the state fedora
ton, neither shall forward a copy of
it to President Wilson. The committee
disobeyed instructions, and will be dis
charged. | repudiate their actions.
Make that as strong as you like
The idea is preposterous,' said Mr.
Bohm. Can you imagine the actors
the employees in the building trades, the
cigarmakers, and all the other trade
union men now on strike returning to
work with no promises from the en-
ployers as to willingness to meet
their demands?
at is we'll to ask labor to make
sacrifices, but why MT ask the land
lords to refrain from raising rents anc
the prohteers TO stop gouging the pub
lie. Nothing can stop men from fight
ing for a just cause. If the plan hac
come up before the Syracuse conven.
tion of the State Federation of Labor
it would have been voted down so fast
you wouldn't have seen it for the
smoke"
To Fight Cummins Bill
Labor men were outspoken in theil
condemnation of the Cummins bill fol-
the control and operation of railroads
This section, they were united il
declaring, means a fight before the
Committee on Interstate Commerce
and, if necessary. on the floors of Con
gress. 1t is in direct conflict, they said
with the one labor plank on which all
factions of the labor movement are
agreed, to wit: that labor shall not be
deprived of the right to strike.
The attitude of the American FEEDER
alton of Labor and of Samuel Gompert
on legislation prohibiting strikes is
vel known. 1t was large factor ir
killing the Adamson bill, which sough'
to prevent railroad strikes More re
Gently. when an amendment to tho con
stltutlon Of Mexico was proposed, linn
itlng the right of labor to strike, Mr.
Gompers declared:
The civilized nations of the world