Vernon Parish Democrat., 1921-09-01
EL7

one of the great protecting bulwarks
of democracy. More than that, they
came to see it as a great creation of
| democracy.
Some critics of the American labor
movement have said that it has no
definite program, no formula that in
| dicates just where it is going. l know
of no more emphatic answer than to
point to the road over which we have
come in ten years. 1 suggest that it
shows the direction in which we are
going; it shows, moreover, that we are
going.
On June 10, carrying out the spirit
Of the labor declaration of March 13,
an agreement was entered into be-
tween Secretary of War Newton D.
Baker and myself, as the representa-
tive of labor. This is the agreement:
"FOr the adjustment and control Of
wages, hours and conditions of labor in
the construction of cantonments,
there shall be created an adjustment
commission of three persons, appoint
ed by the secretary of war; one to rep
resent the army, one the public, and
one labor; the last to be nominated by
Samuel GOmpers, member of the ad-
visOry commission of the council of
national defense, and president Of the
American Federation Of Labor.
The Force of the Worker.
"As basic standards with reference
to each cantonment, such commission
shall use the union scale of wages,
hours and conditions in force on June
l, 1917, in the locality where such
cantonment is situated. Consideration
shall be given to special circumstances,
if any, arising after said date, which
may require particular advances in
wages or changes in other standards.
Adjustment of wages, hours or cOndi-
tiOns made by such board are to be
treated as binding by all parties"
Rights to Organize.
The national war labor board adopt
ed its principles and included therein
was: 'The right of workers to organ
ize and bargain collectively through
chosen representatives is recognized
and affirmed. This right shall not be
denied, abridged or interfered with by
the employers in any manner whatsO-
ever"
Thus, the right of workers to a voice
in the determination of their condi-
tions of life became one of Americas
guiding principles not only in the war
industries of the government, but the
spirit became most general among en-
ployers the country over. The men
and women of toll had come to stand
straight in matters of executive direc-
tion. In these days when so many
prophets throughout the world are
proclaiming revolutions of such sweep
ing character it may be presumptuOus
for me to use the word revolution"
but 1 maintain that when we reached
that point in our national life where
labor assumed a directing role in the
affairs of the country, a very definite
and practical revolution had been ac-
cOmplished. A definite result had
been gained, a deep-rooted concept
completely destroyed and replaced by
a new one of exactly opposite charac-
ter, and the struggling masses of man
kind given a new status in society.
The Demands of Labor.
We are upon days no less trying
than the days Of war, and no less
fraught with great consequences. The
service of labor to our country will
be great, if its opportunities are great
a true reflection of the status that Ia
Dor occupies in the nation. The higher |
and freer the position of labor, the
greater and nObler will be the service |
Of labor. BOndmen might write dec |
laratiOn of freedom, but they could
not conduct their own affairs and acl
the part Of freedom until they had be |
come free. American labor has |
achieved the great fundamentals of in
,dustrial freedom and 1t has established
this fact in the life and consciousness
Of the community.
BrOgress-nOt for few, but for all |
that is the guiding thought and pur-
pose Of the American labor movement |
know OF none better.