Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-03-17
RAPS LABOR'S
VAR RECORD AS
BREEDING EVIL
President Metal Trades AS
ISOLATION Calls AdamsOn
Law Vicious
SUPPORTS open SHOP

Criticism of political methods of the
American Federation of Labor and its
attitude In the war was voiced by John
w. O'Leary, president of the National
Metal Trades association, and James A.
Emery, general counsel for the National
Industrial Council, at the annual dinner
of the indianapolis branch of the Metal
Trades association last night.
Mr. O'LeaFy, who served in the prest-
dents industrial conference as repre-
sentative of employers, and who was in
! 15GAte with labor conditions throughout
spsthe war, described the trend Of indus
i trial conditions throughout the country
the last six years.
H. G. Meyers of the Chandler and
Taylor company, was nominated for
president OF the Indianapolis branch by
approval Of the nominating committees
report. Others nominated were: W. D.
Cakes of the Cakes Manufacturing COM
pany, vice president; L. NJ. Wainwright
of the Diamond Chain company. treas
llrer; George Weidely of the Weidely
Motors company, and Stanley Whitworth
of the Stutz Motor company, members OF
the executive committee.
THE rapidity with which events of
great moment have been taking place has
created In the American people a tend
ency to give up in despair, and to try
anything once" said Mr.. O'Leary in his
address. 1T is only a natural result
of the sequence of events but 1t is none
the less dangerous.
CALLS open SHOP"
AMERICAN POLICY.
six years ago the world war broke
so suddenly as to amaze a large part
of the civilized world. The allies, at
least we're caught unprepared. Thts
country adopted a policy of neutrality,
politically. Our commerce was At nrst
depressed, but soon replaced what had
been lost with enormous war material
contracts from the other side.
aFor years we had followed the strict
IL American policy In industry Of large
4 production by independent workmen. In
dividual initiative and a high standard
e OF living characterized all forms Of in
dustrial endeavor. That policy is called
81 By some the open shop like to call
it the American policy.
Germany had trade unionism, but
q unions were actually under government
control and were government instru-
ments; the Russian policy Of handling
labor was TO keep workingmen ignorant
4 49, under oppression, and England had
Il pure trade unionism, so powerfully de-
81 veloped that before the war came she
had reached a place where she was no
~ longer a factor in world trade.
~ HOLDS ADAMSON
81 LAW VICIOUS"
due to lost time in England and other
q conditions which initiated against the
allies, the time came when America had
to go into the war for self-preservation
We may fool ourselves with talk OF
ldealism, but that Is what We entered
the war for. We began a hysterical at
Tempt to find ourselves; we had no plan
81 and we were fumbling for the best
methods to follow.
while America was thus engaged a
few men were trying to gain a great ad-
81 vantage for themselves. They went to
81 Washington and with threats demanded
u concessions which they never could have
& won in time Of peace. Congress passed
the Adamson law, the most vicious and
q costly measure ever adopted in this
country.
THE war labor conference board was
s appointed, and despite our best efforts,
- production went down instead OF up.
There were more strikes in this country
a the war than in any other period OF
Ymilar length in the nations history
Wages went up and up and working
hours in this crucial time went down and
down.
I'VE were in serious danger OF being
= forced into a line Of action that would
S. have proved ruinous to American industry
81 when the ermistice came.
FOUGHT 1T OUT
u ON STEEL STRIKE.
1--WE had tried going with the unions
we had tried profit sharing; we had tried
- shorter hours, and always with the re-
u suit that production was worse off thar
Il before.
''The country didn't really wake up I'm.
i til the steel strike came. Then we
learned that there was an 'out-and- out
plan afoot to force syndicalism on in.
dustry. We fought It out and won
Mr.. Emery declared the federation OF
labor refused to relinguish it's strike
policy in the war when the country
was fighting for its life. An announce
ment was once made after a conference
between Mr. Gompers and government
n representatives that a truce had beer
declared by labor for the war period, he
i declared and said that Mr.. Gompers
denied it the next day.
1.-The federation demanded for work
y ing men exemption from the draft" Mr.
Emery said, land exemption especially
for the organizations organizers and
a field agents, who were needed, it was
said, to keep labor at work. Mr.. Comp
"a ers demanded that workin gmen at home
Al should be accorded all the respect and
governmental consideration due fighting
men. And yet this group retained the
right to strike at any time from their
SO a day war tasks, while a 81 a day
Soldier at the front would be shot at
Sunrise for relaxing for a moment and
sleeping on duty"