The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-09-18

Saui=ed industry and organized la
 bor, to last until such time as Prcst-
 dent Wilson shall declare the present
 period of industrial TeadjustmCut to
 have passed, was proposed in s,atc- Tneut just issued by stephen C. Ma son, president of the National A5sO-
 citation of Manufacturers, an organ ization embracing 5000 manufacUur-
 ing plants in all sections of the coUn-
 try. and presented to President Will
 son for his immediate consideration.
 Mir. Mason says that the epidemic
 of strikes and threatened strikes
 which has so sorely afflicted the pro-
 cesses of industrial readjustment dur
 ing the past eight months, has cost
 the people of the United States as
 much as $10:OOO,0OO a day in lost
 wages, rent, retail trade, and wasted
 industrial productive resources. He
 expressed the belief that go per cent.
 of this tremendous economic loss
 could have been prevented if organ
 ized industry had embarked upon an
 agreement to systematically avoid NvrOn ngheaded policies and methods
 and organized labor had likewise been pledged on its sacrei honor to
 prevent the misuse of the strike
 weapon by self-seeking leaders who
 have called or precipitated unneces-
 sary strikes.
 MT. Mason declared further that the forthcoming Industrial Confer
 ence called by and to be held at the White House under the auspices of
 President Wilson. on October 5th 1919). can be made productive of far-reaC ching results, if the Admins trauon will directly appeal to the pa
 triotic and unselfish impulses of all
 the presently warning factions, to
 come to the Conference fully pre-
 pared and authorized to enter upon a voluntary, solemn covenant to avoid
 all unnecessary or avOidable inter
 ruptions of industrial and aEricul- tural production as well as threatened
 paralysis of interstate transporta- tion-
 The paramount interest of all the
 people, as well as the national inter est involved" says Mir. Mason, ought to be recognized and accepted by all parties at the Conference. Such a
 realization would impel the subor-
 dination of eE cry conceivable form of selfish class interest, in order tha;
 the impending industrial crisis may be safely surmOunted and the iuher-
 ently healthy resources of our pro-
 ductive industries given a proper op- portunity for expansion.
 ''I believe that the serious reac- | tions of the recently intensified pc riOd of industrial strife has done much to impress the danger and foo1ishness of such conditions and methods on both captains and pri- yates of industry, both in and out of the ranks of the organized forces on both sides
 There is no room to doubt that the American people as whole have become heartily sick and more than ever impatient over the disgusting spectacle and terrible waste involved
 in ceaseless industrial bickerings and strife. If anyone doubts that a strong such a deplorable condition both in and out of the ranks of organized la bor and organized industry, 1t is only necessary to call attention to the re- l cent report urging a strike truce as a means of bringing about a badly needed increase in industrial produc- | ton. SO forcefully stated by lately | discharged but still determined Com
 nittee of the New York State Fed ! eration of Labor, and the nationwide ! educational campaign conducted among both employers and workers { for over three years, at great ex- | rensa. by the National Association of
 Nanufa cturers, in the interest of in | dustrial conservation and peace. l These sincere desires for industrial peace on the part of organized em- ! ployers and workers ought to provide a fitting foundation for the satis-
 factory solution of our industrial ] ] pirations on both sides ought to re- ! cefve the most vigorous and active encouragement and aid of the Ameri- can people and the forces of good | government If such motives animate 1 the represe natives of all factions or | groups at the forthcoming White 1 House Conference, and every con- | structtye assistance is assured by | President Wilson and his colleagues, | that event ought to mark the arrival i of 2 new era and better order of | things in our American industrial world.
 q therefore take the liberty to sug- | gest for the consideration of PreSi- | dent Wilson and all the respective | groups who may attend the Industrial ] Conference on October 9th, the fol- l lowing program for adoption as the l basic work of the Conference: A joint "Gentlemen's Agree ment'' armistice, strike truce or ! preliminary treaty for industrial peace, between organized indus try and organized labor. declar- ! ing their common purpose to | be that of bringing to an early end all industrial war and agita- ton now raging throughout the United States, and avoiding or preventing strikes, lockouts or any other cause or means of interruption or paralyzing trans l portation or E-Hustrial produc- ton. This covenant to remain in force until the President of 1 the United States shall have de- clared the period of industrial | readjustment at an end.