The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-01
COMMISSION ID FIX WAGES AND HOURS
 OPPOSED BY LABOR, UNION OFFICER SAYS
Would Override Supreme Court Decisions By Re Enactment of Laws Held to Be Uncon-
 stitutiOnal

Washington, November 3O.-Organ- ized labor's attitude toward many questions pending and likely to come before congress was outlined today by Matthew Woll, vice president of the American Federation of Labor reply ing to series of questions submitted to labor leaders by Chairman Hays of the republican national committee.
 To make the fruits of labor more ef- fectiyely usable for the welfare of the country, capital and labor, Won de- eiared, must be p1r~ea ar az ecusgi ooting by making all corporation char ters provide that under their powers the holders might not deny employees the right to organize, bargain collec- lively through representatives of their own choosing or to determine for themselves the conditions and relations of their service Without this check on corporate powers, he said. ''the do- mestic conflict now raging cannot and will not be permanently ended"
 Discussing plans to settle or mini mize industrial unrest, Mir. Woll de- clared arbitrary exercise of unwar- ranted and unconstitutional authority by our courts could not ailay it, add ing that Ito avoid building up a judi cial aristocracy' the word of the su- preme court, state or federal, should not be final on the constitutionality of an act. He proposed re-enactment of the measure after it had been held un- constitutional should place it on the statute books despite the court
 ABOLISH INJUNCTION
 Government by injunction" he said should be prohibited, the rights and liberties and freedom should be fully safeguarded and the upbuilding of a judicial autocracy made impossible for all time to come"
 approve the covenant of the League of Nations including the labor provisions contained in this remarkable docu ment which holds the hope for future peace of the world in it's keeping, in- stead of> filibustering and fiddling away like Nero while Rome was aflame"
 Measures to prohibit child labor, total Immigration exclusions for two years, government employees and re- tirement minimum wage act, a federal employment service, elimination of convict labor competition, soldiers land Legislation, state loans to home builders and repeal of all taxes on ne- cessities. were advocated
 Mr.S Woll denounced the pending bill for railroad control offered by Sena- tor Cummins, republican. Iowa, as 'the most un-American piece of Legislation ever proposed by any one' and sug- gested that the railroads be not re- turned to private operation for two years to permit the people meanwhile l to say what should be done with them OPPOSE WAGE COMMISSION Under no circumstances. he contend ed, should any commission or other l agency be authorized to fix wages or I hours, and while the federal compen- 1 sation law had done good. it should be | amended as to 1t srates to keep pace I with the cost of living.
 l Women should receive equal treat I ment and pay with men. but should be given tasks only proportionate to their strength and potential motherhood. the | letter stated
 l Discussing accident and unemploy- 1 ment insurance MT. Woll declared the true solution was to strike al employ | ment itself by employing systematic | elimination of many of the seasonabis ] industrial undertakings"
 The United Mine Workers. he said. 1T asking for a five-day week. were 1r i reality asking for a gerater period ot 1 work rather than greater period of :, idlenessr Universal observance of thu ieight-hour day would tend, he said, te adjust conditions of unemployment 1T many industries If these matters wer' adequately dealt with, he added. work CTS could lay aside savings to care fol
 their families in times of stress or idle l ness.
 Answering if labor desired ''to par ticipate in the control and management of industry, and share in profits ant
 losses" Mir. Woll said profit-sharinl
 as thus far proposed was "a sham ant 4 fraud" and . "cloak for exces profits The suggestions as to shar ing profits and losses, borders on tn absurd.' he said.
 If workers are to share in tn losses, then let us establish shop sov jets and let the worker also manag
 and operate the entire industries h said.
 l He added: American labor demand only aivoice and control in such indus trial matters and management as af , fects their interests as workers an which sare determined largely by thei
 contracts of employment"