Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-01-10
World Activities
LABOR STANDARDS MUST EVER
BE PROTECTED
Labor is Entitled to at Least Equal
Consideration With Credit
and Raw Material

Richmond, Va.-Secretary John B.
Andrews, of the American Association
for Labor Legislation, in an address
on labor on the peace treaty at the
twelfth annual session, held jointly
with the American Economic associa-
ton, said:
"a positive movement regulating
world activities is essential if we are
to have an effective or permanent
democratic peace" declared DR.. An
drews, in commenting on existing la
Dor treaties secured by the Associa-
tion for Labor Legislation between
European countries. GAS the burden
of the war became more apparent to
the group whose members always
bear it's greatest cost in lives and
physical suffering, the position of la
Dor in national and international poll
tics is likely to assume increasing i'm
portance. Demands for protective la
Dor regulations, which shall create
minimum standards of labor condi-
tions, below which no .employe shall
be permitted to work, are likely to be-
come more and more pressing. These
developments may yet become in
creasingly important factors in the
determination of peace terms"
Whether the peace treaty itself, or
by means of later convention in
spired or arranged by the peace dele
gates, or otherwise, according to DR..
Andrews, the demands for interna-
tional standards of labor protection
must be met.
"Those who have been giving special
attention to the possibilities of sharp
commercial competition after the war,
and have considered dangers of un-
derselling and dumping of foreign
products made by cheap labor" he
said, "will, of course, not overlook the
rare opportunity for regulation offer
ed through international treaties. 1t
is felt that particular nations should
not be permitted to demoralize the
markets of other countries that are
striving to uphold decent business
standards.
at is well, however, not to for
get that one of the important factors
in production is labor" he continued.
oh &c n o%
consideration with credit and raw
materials in any plan for industrial
and international peace. If, under
the circumstances which have devel-
oped in the world war, an apparent
effort is made to belittle or even to
postpone the just claims of labor now
more strongly organized economical
ly, and to a rapidly increasing degree
politically throughout the western
world, there will be serious unrest.
Labor in Europe has learned, at
it's own cost and to the loss of eff
cheney of its respective governments,
that war endangers every legal safe
guard thrown about labor" he con-
cluded. Gwen in this country, where
We had been warned by the earlier
experience of Europe, it was only by
the most energetic and united efforts
that protective labor standards were
for the most part maintained during
our eighteen months participation in
the struggle.
"Does this not suggest that if the
workers of many industrial nations
come to have a common interest in
the maintenance of international
protective labor standards, their in
terests will form an additional bull
wark opposed to the plunging of the
world into war? We can't stand still.
We can't go back. We should, and
must go forward"