The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1921-05-26
MR.. coMPER's MESSAGE

MALAANAL ~ W Nt ANhtt' ~ tt Nn''N" ~"
Grafton siabor next mon;h, President Samuel Gompes gave ou,
statement SUNDAY m which ne anounesa tss, The message
There eanbe no possible objection TO the carrying Of that mes
sase, but IL rs certainly 20 be hoped that hs bearers viii be careful
tseiies .ts force aatoeraey in industry; 7 which Mr. Gcmpers in his
Without being in any way familiar with the program or the methods
o. the National Association Of Manufacturers it is safe to assert
that they cannot have been any more definitely eocrcive or any more
au,ocrafie than scanc Of the methods employed by a ceaain class Of
union labor leadership in enforcing their demands upon employers
and in shouldefine added burdens ON the unorganiEed public, during
In these eseselse tactics tending to what he calls "sutocracy
IN industry. y Mr. Gompers cann0t escape the fair charge Of personal
participation, II his public uttersnces mean what they say Few
more anfccratc pr0nounecfhcns have been issued TO the American
people than those q MI. Samuel GOmpers in laying down me de
mnnds Of organized labor.
In the particular statement under consideration Nr. GOmpers
dsrides certain employers who have proposed participation by en-
plsss In plant and business management He describes this Is an
effort 70 silence the employees lie says this would be empty
Sincerity Of purpose Of emloyer. their whole hearted interest
m their employees can be shown best in thu contents Of the pay en-
selopes When that is lacking there can be no encouragement for
Che workers in having representatives on boards Of directors"
II does not seem TO have occurred TO Mr. Gompefs during all
his long period Of leadership that times oreur when events combine
% make IL impossible for employers 20 continue TO put more and
always more contents into pay envelopes, without an equivalent in
creass in production or service. Eventually the wherewiihst to put
more into The pay envelope experiences a shortage which, while i
matter with the employer; affecting. as il must, the price he must
charge Tor his product and his ability 70 find buyers for the same.
lean labor start and stop win The contents Of the pay envelope and
that II alone must be the measure Of employers sincerity Of pur'
We do not believe it; any more Than we believe that the rank
y ~ y a's ,t = brine Rs'. and M boms A. ~G incident 10 Sp soS sp pr oosya upon ,s W
has become prevalent in the methods of a certain class Of labor
leaders 4. Mf q ffNAN NH III.
In the same newspapers IN which appeared Mr. Gompes aggres-
swe statement Of the federalion's proposal to launch a new drive
for membership. appeared also the statement of James Sweeney,
Of Chiraeo, who told Of the use Of bombs bomb experts and suggers
% enforce the DEGREES Of Chicago labor leaders. A day or so before
there came from the same city the story of a business agent Of the
plumbers union who il was alleged had been paid &47 900 for "pro.
lection from petty strikes
No one thinks for one minute that Samuel Gompers sanctions
IN the most indirect or remote way either the bomber and slueger,
or the grating business agent. 7" But IL would seem that his first
duiy ~ the leader Of organized labor In this nation. would be 20
start a drive that would free erganized labor from such, influences
within its ranks; a drive that would "clean house, 30 that the OPP
ponents Of organized labor, whose opposition has been so largely
fostered by just such examples Of industrial injustice. would be
robbed Of their strongest weapon.
80 long az such methods r permitted to be praeticed in the
name OF organized labor and those who are guilty remain unpunsh-
ed and un~repndiated by organized labor. its chiefs. no matter how
clean their personal records nor how selfish their own motives. can
consistently go TO the American people with charges Of '.coereive
taetes 20 force autocrary in Industry"