The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-08-14
SAID LABOR WILL HAVE
EQUAL REPRESENTATION
ON RAILROAD BOARDS
Edward McGrady of Boston Also Assert
ed That American Capital Has Choice
Between Industrial Democracy of
A. F. of L. and Bolshevism.

Declaring that American capital had a
choice OF the sane and safe industrial
| democracy" of the American Federation
of Labor or bolsheyism, Edward McGrady
of Boston enthralled his hearers at the
mass meeting in the Montpelier city hall
last evening, held in connection with the
annual state convention of the Vermont
branch Of the American Federation of
Labor. Mr.. Mct3rady declared that la
Dor would have equal representation with
capital on the boards Of directors oper-
ating the railroads under government SUI.
peryisionl "for service and not profit,
and that the great essentials o. life
would be so democratized that the toll
ers would bear equal responsibilities with
capital for their management and oper-
alton, thus giving the products to the
people at cost without regard to divi-
dends. Mr. McGrady said he was not
giving a radical talk and that what he
said sounded like a June zephyr com
pared with the declarations Of the real
radicals.
The speaker prophesied that the pres
ent government Of Great Britain would
be overthrow before next Christmas
and that the next government of the
"tight little isle" would be a labor gov.
eminent, which would bring about Ger.
tain great labor reforms. He said that
many of the things which were now in
the air would come to pass in England
before they did in America. The mines
Of England, he said, were now run by
| the miners
Industrial democracy, he said, was
spreading to France and Italy. Reports
from the central powers were not clear
ly defined. They knew what Was hap
pening in Russia. The future Of the
world, he believed, depended upon
| America
The speaker emphasized the fact that
the American Federation OF Labor stood
back of the government to-day, as il did
during the troublesome days Of the war.
He was glad that the organization had
pledged its support to the thrift cam
| paign, as the government needed this
money as much to-day as ever, and the
organization had promised to see 1t
| through TO a successful conclusion. That
afternoon he had appeared before them
in behalf Of the W. s. s., but last night
he appeared as a trade unionist
The speaker said he believed he was
a good Americana he had been told many
times that he was. He was opposed TO
bolshevism and any kind of radicalism
that was contrary to the orderly process
Of government The question was often
asked, what does labor wantf' That
question had been asked for centuries. In
the days Of the land barons, the tenants
did their fighting, and when they wished
to recompense their valor gave them
pay in kind that corresponded to-day
with wages.
From that time on, labor asked for a
little more and little more, and il had
gone on and on In 1912, in England the
first labor organization asked for re-
duction of the hours OF labor from is to
10 per day and that no child under nine
should work longer han II hours a day
Men went from their work to their how
els and at daybreak they were back at
their tasks again. In 1888 the cry went
up that if the demands OF the workers
were granted capital would be bankrupt;
the same cry was heard to-day, when la
Dor asked for more concessions
The first abar union to be started in
America was in Philadelphia in 1874
The men sought reduction of the work
ing day from Ia to II hours The com
mittee were arrested and thrown into
prison to serve sentences ranging from