The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-05-21
Wilson Wants
Labor and Capital
To Cooperate
By Robert J. Bender

WASHINGTON, May 21.-Presi.
dent Wilson yesterday called upon a
republican congress to leg;slate this
sessio nalong lines that will insure
greater cooperation between labor
and capital
The outstanding feature of lis mes
sage, read to both houses of congress,
was his appeal that ,ce who do the
daily labor of the world "obtain pro-
gressive improvement in the condi-
tions of their labor, be made happier,
and be served better by ahe communi-
ties and the idustries which .heir la
bors sustains and advances"
The new interest between capital
and labor, he said, can be made oper-
ative and manifest only in a new or
ganization of industry, and he urges
business men and workers to "seek
and sincerely adopt common pur-
pose" toward that end.
Regretting his inability to be pres
ent and his lack of familiarity with
domestic conditions owing to the
duty" which keeps him at the peace
conference, the President in making
his recommendations declares they
must of necessity be "only in general
terms" However, he specifically told
Congress that he will return the tele-
graph and telephone lines as soon as
the "re-transfer can be affected with
out administration confusion" and
the railroads, he said, will be handed
over to their owners at the end of the
calendar year.
at is clearly desirable in the pub
lie interest,"" he said, "that some leg
islation should be considered which
may tend to make these indispensable
instrumentalities (wire lines and rail-
roads) uniform and coordinated
SYSTEM" that those who use them may
be insured of certain means of coun-
trywide communication at uniform
and ineligible rates
These recommendations, however,
had been looked for The promised
surprise" of the Presidents mes
sage lay in his recommendation to
Congress to repeal or amend the war
time prohibition act.
BY this action, the President passes
over to the republicans the burden of
of rejecting the war pro-
hibition question settled in favor of
the "drys" by democratic congress.
Demobilization of the army, the
President says, has reached a point
where the ban on intoxicants can be
removed in so far at least as it per-
tains to wines and beers.
The President advises against any
general" revision Of import duties,
but counsels protection for the new
American dye industry.
He urges revision of taxes so that |
the income tax, excess profits tax and |
the estate tax can be made to yield
constant and adequate returns and
yet not constitute too grievous bur
1en upon the taxpayer"
He urges repeal or many "minor
taxes" including "the excises upon va
rious manufacturers and the taxes
upon retail sales"
Tax revision should be made only
after a most careful study of the
whole problem, he says.
The President would maintain the
United States employment service, CO.
ordinate the various agencies for con-
citation and adjustment, create a new
agency to act as clearing house for
deas to improve industrial condi-
ions and reclaim western lands, in
order to help out the general pro-
gram of making things better for
hose working and wanting work.
The President did not touch upon
lis work in Paris except to say that
t would be premature to discuss it
Until he could presently gay the whole
natter before congress in complete
orm. His sole reference to the league
# nations in the message was to say
hat under it agencies of internation-
i counsel and suggestion on indus
rial problems had been created and
would be advisable to have a ma
ionGl body to do such work for Amer
can workers and industry alone.