The Connecticut labor press., 1919-08-09
O,MEARA DISCUSSES CAUSE OF THE STRIKES

birth during the abnormal times of the
world strife, and apparently do not in
| tend to take up for adjustment or
adoption any of them, with the result
that the country today. instead of adopt
| ing and battling with new ideas and
conditions is gradually settling back
stronger and with apathy into old con-
ditions that so many thousands of our
youth gave their lives to eliminate
One of the new things that came dur
| ing the war was the institution of many
so-called war adjustment boards, and
it is not possible to refute that probably
the most effective and important Of ali
of these was the War Labor Board.
Of course this board by its many decis-
ions brought down upor. its head the
curse of the business system of the
country, for many of it's decisions were
against this system, ard the value of this
board became more apparent every day,
and the more effective its work so much
more was the venom of the business
system distributed against it, and in
stead of perpetuating such an effectual
war born institution as this, the busi-
ness system of the country has now been
victorious in eliminating another STEP
ping stone to right and Justice and one
that was doing more to create and
maintain industrial democracy than any
other known thing that was created in
modern times.
Many organizations of race, creed,
business, industry and others, immedi-
ately upon the signing of the war armis-
tice held meetings and deliberated upon
what best to do to meet the new life
born during the war, anC while 1T might
be termed life it really was a new
thing or another, that either with medi-
ration or was mechanically developed,
sprung up at and during the troubled
times, and these various meetings or
conferences, held in convention for days
and weeks took up only one subj ject
and that was the new condition made
during the war The men and women
that were at these meetings as parties
to do something for the good of man
kind realized that it was not a thing
for the future to let the other fellow
do it. AS things came UP a serious
situation confronted all of these meet
ings and to the credit of those that
made out the decided programs it must
be stated that either through life
long study of affairs or with a knowl-
edge given to them by Divine assist
ance they all agreed that the wage earn
er in these United States must in the
future be considered with more hu-
name treatment than in he past or Else
the social evil fast developing would
replace American ideals and the social
order of things instead of being peace
full would become that of chaos.
Most notable of these programs is
the one issued by the National Catholic
War Council and signed by four bishops
of the Catholic church, and it is mis-
fortune that the great mass of wage
earenrs of the country have not been
put in possession of this wonderful
document. 1t has been agreed that
wages must not be lowered, and that
living conditions must be so regulated
that the commodities of life can be pur-
chased by the poor as we'll as by the
more fortunate ones, and the greatest of
all evils, those of housing conditions
must be given the most careful consid-
Grafton and attention.
But what has the wage Garner of the
country been confronted with since the
signing of the armistice? They have
been assailed from the business system
for trying to hold onto living wage
they have been deposed from employ
ment for preaching the gospel of or
ganization among their fellow work
ers, they have been subjected to wage