The Connecticut labor news., 1921-11-11

reason, and tor that reason alone, there IS record of actual achievement as q result of the conference. It was lnpOs-
 sible to secure the consent of all of the members Ot any committee to any reaC- tiOnary proposal.
 With that fact in mind 1t is well to present for the information of our people the ma jOrity report of the committee on manufacturers in which the representa- tiVcS and spokesman of the great COrpOr- ate interests made their strongest effort l to secure adoption of proposals Calculat- ed to promote the aims of those interests. The jOrity report contained proposals which could not be accepted by any dele gate having at heart the. welfare of the great unemployed masses and having no corporate interest to promote.
 Furthermore had these majority pro- posals come to the floor of the general conference for discussion and vote 1t 1 undoubtedly would have resulted in the
 disruption of the conference. The issues | involved were fundamental and did not admit of compromise. Only the rule of | the conference which prevented anything but unanimous committee report from coming before the conference tor acton saved the conference from disruption
 and1nade 1t possible to secure constructive results through proposals unanimously agreed upon.
 While it is true that certain interests actuated by motives of selfish charac- i ter prevented the accomplishment ot | more signal results, the conference was able to agree on important measures and
 already has stimulated an increase i'll 1 employment in many sections ot the
 country. Material progress for the bene- 1 fit of the great army of unemployed was achieved by the conference. l The appointment of Col. Arthur 1 Woods, former police commissioner of | New York City, to coordinate the relief l work in communities through a central l agency, Is a proper and pra1SeWOrthy continuation of the work begun by the l conference.
 l The representatives of the American l labor movement are able to give to the l announcements of the unemployment 1 conference their hearty support, because, as agreed upon by the conference, they i are i'll the main, in accordance with the
 principles and with hte long-establshed program of the American Federation ot 1 Labor, and because they already have l proven to be Ot Deneht by the test O1 | actual operation
 l In the committees of the conference
 and particularly in the committee on
 manufacturers, as has been pointed out, 1 many proposals were offered which were | Durposely hostile to the interests of the ] working people, but in net a single 111- | stance was a report of that character | finally adopted by the conference. Every l hostile activity was defeated. This IS l credit to the judgment and wisdom ot the conference and 1t Is of tremendous | benefit to the country.
 1 The recommendation of the conference 1 that mayors of cities hold themselves re- ! sponsible for the organization ot unem- l ploynent relief (nOt mere char1ty) III l their cities, is bringing results, and 1t IS 1 fair to assume that these results will ln- l crease rapidly in a very short time. l In some manner there should be made l a public record of the work done by com
 munites, in order that public officials 1 will feel constantly under the necessity i of putting forth their best efforts so l that their reports to the public might be
 as creditable as possible
 l The recommendations for dividing of l employment and for part-time employ
 ment where 1t is possible to increase the
 number of employees by that device, will l be helpful, but 1t should be remembered i in that connection that the conference l also was of the opinion that such devices as this should no tresult in the imposlt- 1 ion or nSlltI CoStS loI lllll9ll0u NOlli- | 1nOdit1eS.
 In calling attention to the need for | merchandising practices that will result l in lowering prices wherever possible, | the conference performed distinct ser
 vice to the public Retail prices have not
 declined in proportion with the decline III
 wholesale prices, or III proportion with l the decline Tn production costs
 | More employment in the aggregate
 will be furnished by a systematic devel-
 op1nent of the practice of doing repairs l and renovation work immediately, as re-
 commended by the conference.
 l The recommendation of the conference l in favor of limitation of armament and 1 in favor of immediate settlement of tariff i! and tax legislation, are of the utmost l importance.
 The development of a program for
 more regular employment in seasonal in | dustries IS a vital necessity. The trade
 union movement has always endeav0red l to secure greater stabilizatiOn of sea 1 sonal industries and has always reCOg- 1 nized the huctating employment tur- l nished by such industries as one Ot the l principal evils of industry. It IS with l in the power of management to d1SCOur- l age this evil to marked extent and 1t, l is to be hoped that the conference re- l comnendatiOn on this point will be fol- 1 lowed vigorously throughout the country. | In recommending the expansion of the l Employment Service of the United | States Department of Labor and the ! expansion of the work of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the conference sup 1 ported two demands for which the 1 American labor movement has contlnu- 1 ousy contended These proposals are ot ! distinctly constructive character and l should be given immediate attention. i The recommendation for the under
 taking of public works and for energetic : development of immediately possible re- | clamaton work is one to which the work ing people will give particular enthus-
 iastic support Not only will the vigor- l ous prosecution of reclamation projects ! furnish immediate employment, but 1t l is an effort of permanent development l of the great resources of our country. 1 The recommendations to which atten- 1 tion has been called are generally of l constructive and progressive character l They endeavOr to meet the needs ot the situation without charity and without
 paternalism In addition to this, the con- l ference and the manner in which 1t un l dertook it's work, settles definitely for all
 times the question of social responsibility
 and of employer and management re- l sponsibility for the failure of industry to 1 function in such manner as to prevent