The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1921-09-05
SAVING WAGE
FOR LABOR IS
DAVIS PLEA
Advocates Employers Not to
Set Scale by Men Wanting
Work Recommends Far
sighted Policy.
URGES FAITH, COURAGE
(Ry Associated Pressl

10y ASSOcidltu
RETROIT, Sept 5.-Dedication of
Labor Day, 1921, to the relief of the
nations unemployed was proposed by
Secretary of Labor Davis today in an
address to the workers of Detroit.
In the past Labor Day has been a
holiday in honor of the man who tolls, -
declared Secretary Davis. This year,
it is a day that millions of our peo-
pie would rather celebrate, not by TAX
ing a holiday, but by going back to
work at job. Labor Day this year
dawned on situation that calls to ev-
cry loyal American for the best
thought, the mightiest effort and the
strongest faith he can summon. This
year Labor Day must be dedicated
first of all to meeting this imperative
human need of the idle
The dedication of the day to the re-
lief of the unemployed, estimated by
the labor secretary to number nearly
six million" should carry with it, he
said. concerted effort on the part of
all Americans be they employees or en-
ployers.
AS measures of partial relief the
secretary proposed the undertaking of
public works, the distribution of work
in mills so that all may have jobs for
| at least part of the week. and the
shaking off of fear and the taking on
of faith and courage.
Need Faith, Courage.
| Above all else we need to shake
/ off fear and take on faith and cour-
age" Mr.. Davis asserted. For the
| lack of that courage we are neglecting
any number of large undertakings
that would give mighty shove to the
| great stalled engine of American pro-
| duction."
The secretary in his address direct
ed a message to the employers of the
nation, declaring:
! Don't set your wages by the hun
] CRY crowd at the gate to your mill
| That is only temporary wage. Dur
/ ing the war the pendulum swung over
/ to the side of the employees. Now il
has swung back to your side Play
| fair now and you will do more to
stabilize your business and bring good
feeling than anything else you can do
Keep in mind the fact that those
| men who are swarming around youl
| gates looking for work are the same
human beings as yourself. They have
the same aspirations for their fam
lilies that you have for yours. Regu
late matters now for the future anC
play the part of far-sighted wisdom. -
Holds Out Assurance
To labor the secretary held out tht
assurance that lin spite of the occa
sional 'hardboiled' employer, no tru'
American business man entertains
serious thought of crushing the work
mems organizations.
Let the open shop mean what i
says-open to ALL" he added "An,
employer knows that crushing HI
unions cannot be done in the frs
place; he knows that it would no
be safe in any case. We want n,
Russia in this country, no hordes O
disorganized, leaderless men, reduce
to such a state of starvation that char
ity must go to their aid
Opposition to the principle of tn
living wage also was expressed b
Mr.. Davis.
Il am against the living wage" b
said. ut is not enough. We need t
hear something about the saving wag,
1t is not enough for man merely t
. exist to meet the cost of living, wha
ever it is, to pay the rent and bu
? food and clothing for his family
man like the American workma
!, needs, he earns and demands som,
L thing more than that. He wants t
: save and he should and must be abl
I to do it,
e