The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-09-03
viii Call Early Conference Of
) Labor and Industry to Seek
a New Footing
ARE CONFIDENT
OVER OUTLOOK
Appeals in Labor Day State
ment for Patience, Vigilance,
Economy and Production


American workers tonight announced
that he would coll in the near future
conference OF representative OF la
bor and ind dustrYs So to discuss funda-
mental means OF .bettering the whole
relationship OF capital and labor and
putting: the whele question of wages
upon another footing.
The president said he was encour-
aged and pleased with the result thus
far Of the governments efforts to
bring down the cost of living and ex-
pressed confidence that substantial re-
suits would be achieved IN the solving
eof5this problem.
Patience and vigilance, however, be
said, must be exercised and the gov
ernment's S efforts must have the CO.
operation of every citizen.
Presumabi referring to the exist
ing labor unrest and threats of
strikes, the president appealed to
every citizen to refrain from doing
anything that would tend to increase
the cost of living, but instead to do
All possible to promote production
The president expressed particular
qualification at the attitude taken by
the representatives 5cf organized Ia
Dor IN supporting. the governments S
program to meet requests: for addi-
tlonal wages through, a lowering of
living costs and said -he hoped that
the workers themselves would move
with The government instead of
against ii in the olution of: this great
diplomatic problem. = -.
The Labor Day message as made
pabIjcstonight sat the. White House,
ST am encouraged and gratifed by
she progress which is being made in.
:cnnffSllfng the cost of living The
support of the rnovement is wide
spread and confidently look for sub
stantfal results, although must
Counsel patience as well: as vigilance
because such will not come instantly
or without team work.
LET me again emphasize my appeal
to every citizen of the country to con-
.tinue to give his personal support
in this matter and to make it as active
as possible Let him not only refrain
from not doing anything which at the
moment will tend to increase the cost
of living, but let him do all in his
power to increase the production, and
further than that, let him at the same
time himself carefully economic IN
the matter of consumption. By com
mon action in this direction we shall
overcome a danger greater than the
danger Of war We will hold steady a
situation which is fraught with pos
sibilities of hardship and suffering
to large part of our population; we
will enable the processes Of produc-
ton to overtake the process Of con-
sumption and we will speed the resto-
ration of an adequate purchasing
power for wages
.s.I am particularly gratified at the
support which the governments pol
icy has received from the representa-
tives of organized labor and L ear
nestly hope that the workers gener-
ally will emphatically endorse the po-
sifion of their leaders and thereby
move with the government instead OF
against it in the solution Of this
greatest diplomatic problem.
81 am calling for as early a date
as, practicable conference in which
authoritative representatives of labor
and those who direct labor will dis
cuss fundamental means of bettering
the whole relationship Of capital and
labor by putting the whole question OF
wages upon another footing.
'eWoodrow Wilson"
The proposed conference, it was
stated authoritatively tonight would
be called to meet soon after President
Wilson returns at the end of Septem-
Der from his speech-making tour OF
the west. It was thought likely that
the meeting would be held at the
White House, as was the reconstruc-
ton conference of governors and
mayors last spring.
Proposals that conference be-
tween labor and employers be held
has been urged from a number OF
quarters. Secretary Lane expressed
the belief in statement a few days
ago that the president should call
snch meeting. Resolutions are
pending in both houses Of congress
urging that workers and employers
: be brought together.
In the presidents promise to call a
labor capital conference. officials saw
-sr.ks