Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-03-27
IMPORTANT RESULTS OF RE-
CONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE

tary Wilson of the Department of
Labor accomplished number of i'm
portant results.
1t impressed first of all on all the
participants that the labor problems
of the country must be viewed as
they arise with a.more complete I'M
derstanding of the basic conditions.
There were men in the conference,
chief executives from cities, who ar
rived with the feeling that such labor
disturbances as they had at home
were merely local demonstrations
which had originated either from the
adverse attitude of the employers, or
because of some petty incident in To-
cal labor circles.
By getting together and exchang-
ing impressions in an executive
town meeting" session with plenty
of opportunity for discussion, the
men were given a wider vision, and
it is certain that those who were
disposed to regard labor mixups as
parochial affairs will now approach
them with a clearer understanding
and appreciation of the responsible
ties. There is no gainsaying that
in many cases the possibility that la
Dor disturbances were political rath-
er than mere wage or hour disputes,
came asa new idea. No chief exc
cutive will be any the worse off be-
cause he has learned to carefully size
his job and to estimate it's full sig
nificance in advance.
The formal declaration of Prof
Irving Fisher, the economist, that
we are permanently on higher price
level, and that prices will stay up,
was sufficiently important a declara-
tion to justify the calling of the ses-
sion, if no other statement had been
made.
The general impression that some
how prices of materials and labor are
due for a drop within a relatively
short time, has been one of the most
stagnating features of business life.
1t is because this feeling is so gen.
orally current, that billions of work
has been held up throughout the
country, private and public. 1t is
not that men were anxious to dodge
their responsibilities, but they had
the natural feeling that if prices were
to drop, they did not see why they
should adventure in advance of that
drop on large undertakings. Long
before Prof. Fisher prepared his pa
per, it can be said that the experts
of the department of labor working
in the construction division had
within the last three months reached
the same conclusion from a study of
conditions following the Civil War.
1t is interesting to note that al
though the Fisher statement was one
Of he oil hui
the newspapers at the time, it is now
being reprinted generally through
out the country by banking and eco
nomic authorities. and as yet, there
has been no attempt to upset the
conclusions. This declaration has
fortified every governor and mayor
who will be able to use it to meet |
his budget committees who MAY sug-
gest the delay in public undertakings
until the reduction materializes.
The unanimity of the decision of |
the conference to indorse outright |
the department of labor policy for
the deportation of such aliens as ad- !,
vocate or plot the overthrow of gov
ernmental forces was also one of the |
important achievements of the meet |
ing. This is another problem which
in many cases, was being settled on
a local basis, and there is no de-
nying that governors and mayors
have been handicapped by the doubt
as to how their brother officials
might act. Now after full discus
sion by representatives from all parts |
of the country, the executives pres |
ent have formally Endorsed this |
method of procedure, and all will |
feel safer in following this course. |
The fear that other governors or
mayors may perhaps take issue with |
them has been dissipated.
Having in mind the diversified po-
litical elements participating, that |
there should be ten points of agree
ment is significant. When, the !
conference resolution is reduced to
plain, concrete statements, the con
ference agreed on these propositions:
The department of labor's policy |
of deportation for such aliens as ad
vocate or plot the overthrow of the |
present government was Endorsed.
1t was agreed that, in all proba-
bilities, the railroads would remain |
under government control for 81 |
months after the signing of the !
peace treaty; that the federal gov
eminent should go ahead with such |
railroad improvements and expan-
sions as are essential if our transpor-
tation systems are to approximate |
their possibilities as an aid to COM
merce.
There should be no hard and fast |
price fixing by government agencies.
but these should investigate and
make public their conclusions as to
fair and equitable prices. permitting
public opinion to do the rest.
II was agreed that present freight
rates on road and building materials
are hampering activities in these
fields and a revision of these rates
is urged.
That there should be no reduction
of the labor wage level or living con-
ditions Of labor, not only was the
sentiment of the conference
but it was, approximately, the unani-
nous sentiment.
1t was agreed that the federal gov
ought to continue it's sur
vey of natural resources to the end 1
that the conservations imperative in
war might be encouraged in peace
activities.
That the federal employment SER
vice ought not to be discontinued
Turing the period of transition.
That it would be helpful If demob-
liZation might be effected through Il
ocal draft boards so that men in the
army would d be released until Il
hey were ret ned to their original
That memorials should be under
aiken and should be of a utilitarian.
rather than of purely ornamental
character
That states should be devising
WHY To force infn nan such natural II