The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1921-03-03
LABOR UNION PLANS
BIG MASS MEETING

The labor union is planning a mass
meeting at an early date when the
public will be invited to participate.
G. 0. Young, state organizer for the
American Federation, and Otto Hart
wig, state president, according to j. IL.
McRae, president of the local union,
will be here to deliver addresses.
Expressing the general principles of
organized labor, the local union has
presented the following for publica-
ton:
! Organized labor, a creature of neces-
sity, has grown and developed as man
! has grown in understanding down
through the ages. 1t represents the
struggle of the past. Its struggles
have been the birth pain of civiliza-
ton. Its principles are as stable and
fundamental as the law of gravity !;
and as permanent as time. 1t IS as
vital to humanity as life itself. With
out it man will become slave, de-
generate. Destroy it and decline in
mortality and citizenship will follow.
A Christian nation cannot be developed
upon long hours and low wages. Men
with bowed backs will not look up.
The labor movement is governed by
natural law, legitimate growth can
not be forced any more than you can
force the growth of an oak tree.
1t cannot be turned out of its natural
course any more than the great Colum-
bia can be turned out of its course
without destruction of the country
about it. 1t operates in defense of
human liberty; it gives hope and aspir-
alton and it builds better manhood,
a sweeter and better Womanhood. 1t
brings into the world a childhood that
has greater possibilities of life. Child
life and development greatly depends
upon the conditions of toll of the father
and mother before it, the kind of house
they live in, their food and raiment.
The life and development of future
citizen, future father or mother, de-
pends upon the house they live in, the
food they have and the manner in
which they are dressed.
Hours. wages andsconditions of en-
ployment, what do they mean? How
have shorter hours and better wages
been secured? What is the ultimate
goal of the trade union movement?
Are you concerned in better citizen
ship? Are you your brothers. keeper?
DO yOQ CdLC lOI LIlC ndppiIiC6O VI VIII
ers? Does the happiness, health and
the moral surroundings of others affect
you? Does it affect home life? Is the
striving for better things for naught?
Betterment in life has been the yearn-
ing. the hope and prayer of all gener
ations. He that would deny you the
right to organize to associate with
your fellow mep in the persuit of
these blessings, denies you your
greatest fundamental right. He that |
denies you the right to organize, the
right to have some say, through your
chosen representative, as to the condi- |
tions of employment denies you life. |
Your labor is your life. To protect |
life we organize to protect life we ask |
that we have something to say as to |
hours, wages and working conditions.
For, as we said before, these things |
vitaIIy affect the life and all human |
things. affect the very life of our great
nation.
This is the anniversary of our great |
Lincoln, who said that capital was Gre
ated by labor; that labor existed be-
fore capital; without labor capital |
would never have been created hence |
labor must, or should, have the great
est consideration. He could have added /
that labor is not commodity, but |
human being, while capital is an ineFt
thing labor has life, living, breath
ing being, whose condition depicts the
standard of manhood of the nation in
which he lives. The progress, the
standard of morals, the intellect of I
those human beings is wrapped up in
hp great labor m0VpmpDt
Tread the way carefully, though you
progress slowly, do not become dis
Human advancement to be
must not be attempted by
Vicious propaganda or action.