The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-07-30
Where Did BahsOn
Get That Stuff?
(By Chester NJ. Wright)

tache of the United States Depart
ment of Labor during the war and
who conducts at Boston statistical
service for employers, now announces
to employers that labor is beaten
This will be news to labor, it will
be news to employers, it will be news
to the world. If it were true no
newspaper front page in the country
would be big enough to hold the news
or accommodate the display of type
necessary to chronicle it properly
and with sufficient emphasis.
Mr.. Babson's bulletin to his eli
ents, containing the news that labor
is beaten and 'Mr. Gompers has lost
his power" was issued about July Is.
Il is not too late to bring his re-
marks to the attention of the work
ers generally, that they may know
what manner of prophet is this man
who claims to keep employers posted
on what is happening in the world of
industry. Mr.. Babson's statement
SAID:
"There is no doubt about it-labor
is beaten. Mr.. Gompers was at his
zenith in 1918. Since then he has
steadily lost power. He has lost
power with his own people because
he is no longer able to deliver the
goods. He can no longer deliver the
goods for two reasons:- For one
thing, peace urgency has replaced
war urgency and we are not willing
to bid for peace labor as we had
to bid for war labor; for another
thing, the employing class is i'm
mensely more powerful than it was
in 1914.
"He had then an organized labor
force more numerous than ever be-
fore. Relatively twice as many work
same labor force has lost its hold
on the public. Furthermore, it is
divided in it's own camp. 1t fears
capital. 1t also fears its own fac
tions. 1t threatens, but it does not
dare.
eve said that the employing class
was immensely more powerful than
in 1914. There is more money at it's
command. Eighteen thousand new
millionaires are the wars legacy.
This money capacity is more thor
oughly unified than ever. In 1914,
we had 10000 banks, functioning to
great degree in independence of
each other. Then came the Federal
Reserve Act and gave US the ma
chinery for consolidation and the
emergency of five years war fur
nished the hammer blows to weld
the structure into one.
"The war taught the employing
class the secret and the power of
widespread propaganda. Imperial Eu-
rope had been aware of this power
1t was new to the United States.
Now, when we have anything to sell
to the American people, we know
how to sell it. We have learned. We
have the schools, we have the pull
pit. The employing class owns the
press. There is practically no import
ant paper in the United States but
is theirs.
English labor has come out of
the war with great gains During
the war the United States workers
fooled themselves and fooled some of
us into thinking that labor here and
in England stood neck and neck
We forgot England's long genera
TONS start of us. There is no such
labor force in the world. English
labor was ready to wiring advantage
out of the war: United States labor
wanted to do so, but it had not lived
the life needful to that end.
What, then, are we going to do
to our opponents? When in 1918,
we gritted our teeth and said that
we were going to show them where
they got off, we had no very def
mite aim in view beyond just words.
Now that we have indicated success
fully the point of Decentralization,
the question arises: What are we
going to do aboht it,"
Babson's batting average in this
statement is just about zero.
His source of information about
labor must be wonder to behold.
His power of analysis and deduc-
ton are marvellous and weird.
His ability to pass the bunk to
and get money for it
if this is samples amazing.
Babson has posed as liberal. He
has written kindly advise for news
paper syndicates. He has Babson-
lied everybody that would stand for
it. And on top Of that he helped
win the war.
Now ne has labor beaten.
Of course if labor really is beat
en- that ends Babson's job, for it will
not be necessary to keep employers
about labor movement
that has gone on the rocks and got
all smashed up.
But is labor beaten? Where does
Babson get that stuff?
Does the Republican platform look
as if labor is beaten?
Does the effort being made by a
number of employers associations
look as if labor is beaten?
Does the pitiful publicity of the
Williamson Coal Operators Associa-
ton look as if labor is beaten?
Does the American Federation of
Labor membership of 100000 look
as if labor is beaten.
Does the reelection of President
Gompers, with but one opposing vote,
look as if Mr.. Gompers has been
crushed?
Does the wonderful enthusiasm
back of the non-partisan political
look as if labor is beaten?
Labor is surging forward at an
inspiring speed.
Labor's influence in America was
never so great.
Labor's constructive craftsmanship
was never so effective, never wiser,
never so badly needed.
Labor's demand for relief for ev-
cry citizen, labor's battle for the
common welfare, has brought hope
and cheer and inspiration to thous-
ands of helpless individuals.
81 nor,ncoinrn firrht fn,. tho