New Britain herald., 1919-03-03
GOVERNMENT IS BUT
 SERVANT OF STATES President Pledges Federal Aid
 During Readjustme0t Period LABOR CONFERENCE OPENS
Governors and Mayors from All Over Country Gather to Discuss Peace Time Business and Labor Problems That Confront the Nation.

That Confront the Nation.
 Washington, March 3.-Opening ernors and mayors on pea ce-tine bus mess and labor problems today, Pres ldent Wilson promised that the fed eral government would consider itself the servant of the states, municipali- ties and counties in solving readjust- ment problems and would perform it's duty guided by suggestions of the con- ference.
 The president said he hoped the conference discussion would assume a wide range, including means of re- storing labor conditions to normal basis as soon possible and to effect such fresh allocations of labor and industry as the circumtances may make necessary
 Touches on Peace Conference.
 Touching upon the peace confer ence, he said the conferees at Paris regarded themselves only as servants of about 700,O00,0O0 people of the world, and not as their masters.
 Consequently said the president, the conferees are anxious to keep in close sympathy with the peoples
 whom they represent, ito find out
 how we can best assist in making their lives what they wish them to be
 by giving them the opportunity that
 they ought to have"
 The president spoke briefly, conf1n-
 ing himself largely to welcoming the
 visitors and promising complete fed
 Q 1o in oI
 the demands upon his time during the day and 8 half he could remain in Washington made it impossible for him to participate in the conference Week for Months Work. The president said:
 T wish that I could promise myself the pleasure and the profit of taking
 part in your deliberations. I find that
 nothing deliberate is permitted me since my return. l have been trying under the guidance of my secretary,
 MT. Tumulty, to do months work in
 a week, and I am hoping that not all
 of it has been done badly, but in as much as there is a necessary pressure upon my time I know that you will excuse me from taking a part in your conference, much as I should be profited by doing so.
 My pleasant duty is to bid you ! hearty welcome and to express my gratificati ton that so many executives of cities and of states have found the time and the inclination to come to- gether on the very important matter we have to discuss.
 Duty Falls on States ''The primary duty of caring for our people in the intimate matters that
 we want to discuss here, of course, falls on the states and upon the mu- nicipalities and the function of the federal government and is to do what it is trying to do in a conference of this SOrt-draw the executive minds of the country together so that they may profit by each others sugges- tions and plans, and so that we may offer our services to coordinate their efforts in any way that they may deem it wise to coordinate. In other
 words, it is the privilege of the federal government in matters of this
 sort to be the servants of the execu- 1 lives of the states and munici palities and counties and we shall perform 1 that duty with the greatest pleasure 1 if you will guide us With your sug ! gesuons.
 Wants Wide Discussion. T hope that the discussions of this 1 conference will take as wide a scope
 as you think necessary. We are not met to discuss any single or narrow l subject. We are met to discuss the proper method of restoring all the i labor conditions of the country to normal basis as soon as possible and nH0 Nf
 Ia bor and industry as the circum- stances may make necessary. I think l can testify from what I have seen
 on the other side of the water that
 we are more fortunate than other !! nations in respect to these great prob lems Our industries have been dis | turbed and disOrga -disorgan- l ized as compared with a peace basis, 1 very seriously, indeed by the war, but 1 not so seriously as the industries of | other countries; and it seems to me, 1 therefore, that we should approach | these problems that we are about to i discuss with a good deal of confidence confidence that if we have com
 mon purpose we can realize that com-
 mon purpose without serious or in-
 surmountable difficulties
 Feels for Those More Obscure. 1 The thing that has impressed me l most, gentlemen, not only in the I recent weeks when I have been in l conference on the other side of the
 water but for many months before l ] went across the water, was this: We are at last learning that the l business of government is to take 1 counsel for the average man. We are | st last learning that the whole matter /! of the prosperity of peoples runs
 down into the great body of the men l and women who do the work of the ' (Continued on Seventh Pagel