New Britain herald., 1919-08-06
w. s. Stone of Engineers Brotherhood Says Elm ployes Now Demand In- dustrial Freedom as Well as Political.
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
 IS ONLY SOLUTION

~s. --
 Washington, Aug. 6.-Labor now demands that America become the home of industrial freedom as it has become a land of political freedom Warren $. Stone, grand chief of the brotherhood of locomotive engineers, said today in appearing before the house interstate commerce committee in support of organized labor's plans for public ownership and private operation of the railroads.
 Autocracy Rules Democracy.
 Declaring that American democracy was controlled by an autocracy in in dustry, MT. Stone argued that there could be no solution and no lowering of the cost of living as long as con- sumers had to pay extortionate profits on their own earnings in purchasing the necessaries of life.
 Labor's belief in the Sims bill, em- bodying the railroad employees plan for the solution of the railroad prob lem, was declared by MT. Stone to be profound. In this plan, he said, the workers raised the banner of demo- cracy in control of industry and ad- vanced Ito a new crusade with the faith of the Pilgrims
 5,5O0,00O Men Represented.
 At the request of these organiza- tions (the railroad brotherhoods) the Sims bill is now before you," said MT. Stone 'T speak as the voice of these two million men, delegated by them to announce to this committee and to the people of this country that they are supporting this measure with all the strength and all the unity of purpose that can move so large a body of citi- zenS.
 "Joined with us and represented by MT Morrison is the American Fedora tion of Labor, adding 3,500,OO0 men to that body of railway employees, who instituted this movement.
 Capital vs. Labor.
 "In the industrial development of this country great organizations of capital first appeared as employers. Individual workers, following the eN- ample set by capital, organized as em- plOyes. Their purpose was to secure better working conditions and larger measure of return for their labOrs. The full force of capitalistic organiza- tions has been set against labor to hold and to keep all the profits of in dustry. The strength of the labor unions has been eXerted to wrest from capital some share of the profits for the wage earners
 Capital Seeks Profits.
 "There has been a perpetual strug- gle by the workers to maintain a total standard of existence; on the part of capital to amass greater profits. At times both sides could ignore the needs of the public. But now the very growth of the labor organizations has brought into their ranks a great mass of the consumers The large number of the wage earners now constitute a large percentage of the people. The extension of industry has changed the nature of the previous struggle.
 Worker Is Kept Down.
 For whatever the worker receives in wages he must spend for the ne- cessares of life. Tn addition he is al- ways compelled to pay the employer an excessive profit on his own wages. The cost of his living is determined by the sum he earns plus the profit he IS charged on his own labor. And as group, labor Is forever prevented from bettering it's lot because of the profits exacted by the employer. The hope of a finer life is never realized. So long as consumers are forced to pay eXtor- tionatc profits on their own earnings to a third interest there is no solution of the industrial problem.
 Dominates Industry.
 we find that this third interest ab- solutcly controls and dominates the management of industry. It fixes wages and controls working condi- lions It fixes the prices of commo- dities without regard to the needs of society or the necessities of producers and consumers. We have a demo- cratic form of government but an autocratic control of industry.
 Rights Arc Limited.
 "We exist under government, but by industry we live. Under such a sys- tenn the majority of a dem ocracy can through their government enjoy only such rights and privileges as an auto cracy industry permits them to re- ceive. This country was pcopled by a race who sought within it's boun- daries religious freedom. It was es- tablished by their descendants through revolution as a land of political free
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