The Washington times., 1921-10-09
|sCENTsPLlNT0
|FORCE WAGE GUT
|0Nu,s. WORKERS.
| BY CONFERENCE
compers WI Lead Opposition
to Any Proposal for Pay
Reduction.
lMAY QUIT IF DEFEATED
Pleased With Work Thus Far,
| and Fesls Good Has Been
i Accomplished.
MAY QUIT IF DEFEATED
By n. K. REYNOLDS,
InternAf fienal Nsxa esrxioe.

Internatienal News service.
Efforts Of powerful manufaetur.
|ers 70 jam q wage reduction pro-
gram through President Hardinsis
unemployment conference viii bs
fought bitterly BY delegates Of the
American Federation Of Labor and
may result in q bolt" Of the labor
group. IL was learned last night.
Gompcrs to Resist.
Samuel Gompers. iabor's veteran
chieftain. and q member Of the. Cona-
aittee on, Erpersency Measures nor
Manufacturers. which Il said 10 have
prepared q report recommending
sweeping reductions IN railway waxss
and freight rates. abolition Of the
Railrpad Labor Board. and the 70
peal Of the Adamsofi eight hour iaw.
declared that he would .resist any
attempt to cut wages or repeal icxis.
lation enacted for the benefit OF the
people"
Gompers and Mrs. Sarah Conboy.
Of New York, secretary OF the United
Textile Workers OF America, are ex-
pected to bring In n minority report.
1T Is not strange that manufac.
turers should seek to reduce wages or
to nullify legislation which the people
have enacted" Gompers said. But
labor has gone Ear enough, and labor
VIII resist anything Of that kind.
Manufacturer form the majority
Of the committee, but they do not
represent the majority Of the people
Of the country. Do not lose sight Of
that fact. The two labor delegates.
though In the minority there. represent
a majority OF the people. We rhaIl
stand and fight for our rights"
Labor May Bolt.
Gompers and other representative
Of organised labor win not only oppose
Recommendation for wage reductions
on the ground that there 10 no econon,-
In reason for such decreases, but WIN
seek to prevent the report Of the ma
jority from being presented 10 the con
ference. maintaining that It is q con-
troversial question upon which tho
conference has no authority 10 act.
| II Gompers loses both Of thess
fights, he 10 then expected TO retire
from the conference. taking the entire
labor delegation with him.
In defining his position last night.
the labor leader made Il clear that he
was pleased with the work Of the
conference thus far. and expressed the
belief that II had accomplished much
good In relieving the existing Indus
trial depression and would continue to
do 80 II controversial subjects were
not discussed. +.
It 70 regarded AZ likely that the
majority Of the Manufacturers Com
mittee win recommend the transfer
OF the powers Of the Railroad Labor
Board to the Interstate Commercs
Commission II It concludes that The
continuance OF the former body b
undesirable. The labor delegates WIN
oppose efforts to detract from tho
authority OF the wage board.
Oppose h. II. Fund BL :,
Labor is also known to be opposed
to the passage OF the Administra-
tion's $500, 900, 900 railroad fundinS
bill, now pending IN the Senate. while,
the manufacturers committee OF the
conferences 10 expected 70 refer 70 q a.
essential to the rehabilitation OF the
railroads. The committee VIII prob
ably recommend also the prompt set
tlement OF the war obligations OF the
Government 70 the carriers 3
John II. Kirby. president Of the
Southern Tariff Association, and .
member Of the conference, declared
last night that "all prices and waees
should be brought into harmony
ss oss sns ssors ps1ss or@s q ssor