The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-06

lISSSuIdIlNe AlHudtud lhah l"SSuA VI Q Her hotel.
 In progress in Washington and of which he is q member.
 Many Mind.
 ''The conference is composed of practically every form of rational mind. and, l fear some irrational ones," Mir. Edgerton said, There are representatives of the employers, large and small, and there are rep representatives of the employee class. Then. with these, there are num- Der of college professors and philoso- phers. The difficulty of getting this rather heterogeneous mass to agree upon problems is, of course, evident.
 During the first week, we have striven chiefly to suggest temporary measures of relief without having undertaken to discuss the fundamen- tai problems which are the cause of the trouble. The result of our efforts for the first week will de- pend solely upon the manner in carrying them out to success, that Is the mayors of the individual cities and the governors of the states.
 Discuss Fundamentals
 During the second week of the conference. we will no doubt discuss Fundamental questions. and l doubt the possibility of definite decisions by the congress. The result of our efforts along this line will depend largely upon the attitude of Con- gross. l feel that one of the causes of unemployment at the present time Is the indisposition of the wage earners to adjust themselves to new conditions."
 Turning fd thu nrnhlapu 4rubicb face the manufacturers of the coun- try, Mir Edgerton stressed the need of organization particularly among the southern manufacturers. He said that at the convention of the national association which elected him, a southern man, to the presi- dency of the organization, there were not more than 12 manufacturers from south of the Mason-Dixon line present
 Open Shop
 Pointing to the work of the na- tional association he called attention to its foreign trade department which supplied members with credit reports from all parts of the earth; the open shop department which was endeavoring to emplant the princi- pies of the open shop firmly in the minds of the American people; and the law department, which endeav- ored to look after the manufacturers interest in Washington.
 There is today in America a hid cops form of slavery, MT. Edgerton said. Men are not organizing, they are being organized. They are Icing made the instruments for accom- plishing the selfish purposes of others who are not interested in their well being. I have a friendly feeling for all my own employees, and I re- sent a foreign man coming to my plant and attempting to SOW the seed of dissatisfaction among them. l do not deny the right of all men to or ganize If they want to do so. but many organizations are not formed for their good"
 Mnnufacturers--Leg
 MT. Edgerton was followed by James A. Emery, chief counsel of the National Manufacturers association, who discussed the relation of the manufacturer to legislation.
 "There seems at present to be
 a belief among the public in the possibility of Iegisiation as
 cure for all iIis," Mir. Emery said.
 "Thc result of this is thnt there
 are 10,OOO new laws passed each
 year by American legislative
 bodies, and it takes $40 volumes
 to hold the decisions of courts of
 last resort upon laws. Of the
 total number of laws passed be-
 tween 60 per cent and 70 per cent
 are directly concerned with re-
 strnints on your business and
 property.
 The only way for business to serve the government Is to place at the disposal of the various legisla- lures the knowledge it has. Too often pet philosophies find their ,x- presslon in harmful Legislation There is no Just grounds for the manufac- turers of the country standing aside and criticizlng the legislators for passing poor laws, If they have done nothing to help them pass good ones.
 Work For Nation.
 '1'he American manufacturers must work as a class. but must, make their interests subservient to those of the nations at large. The curse of the nation today is the growth of organ nations which seek to place their own interest above that of tho sseat masses of people.
 "The American manufacturers are looking hopefully to the south as the great repository of pure Anglo Sa son Dl0Od to De the StrOHSnolu or Anerl- can institutions. It was partly for that reason that they elected a south ern man as head of the national CT ganization. We can look especially to Alabama as the state which has sent man like Senator Underwood to Washington, and elected Kilby governor as the stronghold of Am sri- canism."
 Hugh Morrow. was stoastmaster at the~luncheon and Introduced the two speakers. pr. w. E. Holmes deliv cred an invocation. Seated at the speakers table with MT. Emery. MT. - ' - -