The labor world., 1919-12-06

new. INDUSTRIAL
C0AlFERENcE:N01 ! R ] | |: | !! |.
REPRESENTATIVE
Unions VIII Continue Normal
Activities and Pay no At
tention to New Body.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 4.-P.
L. Barnum was right. The people like
to be humbugged. There never WAS a
more fragrant case of humbuggery
than the appointment of IS LAWYERS.
college men, manufacturers and man
Without occupation to decide what
shall be the labor policy in the United
States
They represent the public" de-
clare the labor batting newspapers.
The conference will not be encum-
oered as was the last presidential in
dustrial conference, by the presence
OF either employers or labor represen-
tatives.''
"The proposed industrial conference
Is a joke, declare the officials of the
American Federation Of Labor.
Labor officials in WASHINGTON are
Wonder What it Means.
wondering what it all means They
want to know what is the motive be-
nlnd the selection of such a group of
men to decide what is fair and what
is unfair to labor. Their most impor-
tant question, however, is:
How can conference composed of
enemies of wage workers fairly de-
eide any question in their INTEREST,""
1t Is said that every appointee of
the president believes working men
ana women are in class apart from
those who employ. Therefore, the
great question is, what can the confer
ence do that will be Of benefit to those
who work for wages?
1t is like group of saloon keepers
'pemg selected to map cut policy for
the church; a. gathering of Republi-
cans to outline What the Democrats
should do, or vice versa.
One thing is. absolutely certain in
the opinion of the labor officials of
this city. The half dozen lawyers on
the commission will represent the cor
porations. Whatever policy the biz
employers of labor want approved will
| undoubtedly be approved, it is felt.
Among the outstanding principles
which the commission is expected to
declare as the policy that should gov
ern labor are:
No Limit to Be Placed.
mo limit should be placed on a
days work, as that is contrary to
the constitutional right Of private con-
! tract.
"Collective bargaining is un-Amer-
lean, as it takes from the employer
| the right to conduct his business as he
y sees fit.
There should be no extra paw for
| overtime, as wage workers should be
willing to work overtime in the inter-
est Of the. employer. This is based on
the belief of the commission that the
interests Of labor and capital are iden-
| tical.
working conditions in all indus
tries should be determined by the en-
ployer, as he. is more able to decide
what is good for the workmen than
| the latter possibly can be.
! "1ndividuals may present grievances
| but collectively they should be denied
! the right.
1T must be understood by labor
that the dictum Of Mr.. Baer Of the
Reading Road, that the employer rep
resents the divine power and the
workmen are his wards, must be ac-
cepted as the moral law governing
the relations between master and SER
want in industry"
Labor Out of 1t.
| It will thus be seen that the men,
bers OF the commission have mapped
out program that will revolutionize
industrial relations. Labor, not rep
| resented, can make no protest. It
must sit silent and read the accounts
of meetings OF the commission and
when final report is made it must
accept it without more than formal
! protest.
After the commission has made its
final decisions as to how labor shall
conduct itself in the future, congress
is to be asked to enact laws carrying
out the communications. The ways
are creased for this outcome. Certain
membership Of congress have been for
months spreading propaganda against
labor. Not word that would stigma
tie labor has been left unsaid. The
people of the country have been fed to
exhaustion on the propaganda. The
idea was to prepare the people for just
! such a commission and to make il
possible to carrS out it's recommends
| tions.
So far as the recommendations OF
the commission are concerned, NO at
tention will be paid to them by labor
The normal activities of labor will be
continued. Any proposition that will
take away from the wage workers the
right Of initiative, the right Of having
something to say about what he shall
receive in wages In fact their eco.
nonaic liberty, will be fought to the
bitter end. This is the declaration o1
thousands of kilograms that have
poured into Washington since thu
commission was'appointed. -.-.:.*
!: :, = : = = E%.,d NE,4 y. ..@''.. 4 >.