The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-12-02
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL

want Just wages, and a chance to play
their part in the game of life in a
manner that will give to them all
the necessities and their just pro-
portion of comforts and luAuries. This
is the same demand that is made by
every class Of human beings, no mat
ter what their station may be in life.
But there are so-called leaders"
both of the capital and laboring
classes, who set up standards OF
rights" which when analysed usu-
ally give to Their favored followers
an advantage over the rest of society.
1t is d%isapproval against this small
autocratic class, who speak more for
their Leadership" than they do for
their constituency, that has brought
the reproach upon Wall street. For
Wall street is simply a great money
center for the nation, and it is nee
essary as are the money centers
of the small and large towns of the
country. These money centers are
called banks, no matter whether they
exist in Wall street or at Smiths
Crossing.
The labor leaders make their head
quarters in Washington, and the
American Federation of Labor and the
Railroad Bro~therhoods speak right out
in meeting regarding their demands.
Mr.. Gompers and two of his associates
attempted to tell the American union
workers how % vote. The way in
which the advice was accepted is
pretty we'll known. These labor lead
ers, in session in Washington, have
set forth the untenable proposition that
they are Numerically opposed to ex-
listing laws and proposed avs that
furnish arbitration for industrial dis
putes. On the other hand, the voices
of individual American labOring mon
and women have time and again been
raised for peaceful methods in ndus-
trial disputes, as opposed to strikes
and lockOuts. The Federation has
also declared it's opposition to laws
restricting the rights of workers to
quit work. This is simply another
way VI uoltuOluS SlIlhcS.
The secretary of labor, when he
served on the presidents industrial
commission early in the year, Joined
in a report with other labor leaders,
capitalists and private citizens, includ-
ing Herbert Hoover, demanding the
establishment of a federal industrial
board, with agencies throughout the
country empowered to solve labor
troubles in a way that amounts to
arbitration. The secretary Of labor
is a union labor man, and he did his
stunt as a coal miner earlier in life.
He believes, as do all others, who view
the question with open minds, that
the industrial situation cannot be sep
arated from the rights of the public
as represented by the government, in
preference to class leadership of either
labor or capital.
Herbert Hoover is a very rich man,
but his opinions are taken so seriously
that the American Federation of La
Dor invited him to become their coun-
sellor at the gathering of labor lead
ers. There is no question but that
he took the position that peaceful
methods should rule in place of strikes
and lockouts. His acceptance as an
advisor, by labor leaders, is a big
step in the right direction, because
it is evidenced that among some of
these leaders there is a determination
that has not heretofore been very
clearly voiced, favoring closer cooper
alton with the public, and fuller recog-
milton of the rights of the whole
public. We have had altogether too
much in the way of demands from
labor leaders, as well as capitalists,
for the furtherance Of their individual
interests. The spirit of sovietism, rep
resented in this manner, seems to be
on the downhill slide. This is en-
couraging, since it strengthens the
principle that government is reaching
forward to secure the rights for which
governments are instituted among
men," and for which purpose they
derive their just powers from the
consent of the governed"
The federal power commission is
arranging to put the provisions of the
federal water power act into force,
and when congress convenes appro-
priations will be asked for. that will
permit of the investigation of every
application to determine whether the
project proposed is best adapted to
become a comprehensive scheme of
development of water power resources
of the region. not only for power de-
velopment, but also for such related
uses as irrigation, navigation, flood
control and water supply.
Investigations so far made show
that the west has evidenced far more
enterprise than the east, and the Pa
cifc coast states are far ahead of the
older eastern states in utilizing their
natural resources. Nature has pro-