The Connecticut labor news. (New Haven, Conn.) 1921-1925, 1921-04-08

Mr.. Davis was born at Tredegar,
Wales, 40 years ago. He is one of
family of nine children. He arrived in
this country with his parents when he
was less than four years of age. He
married Miss Jean Rodenbaugh, of Mill
vile, Pa. There are two children, James
j., Jr., four years old. and Jane Eliza
beth, baby.
The new Secretary of Labor is a self
made man. When II years of age he
went to work in the mills at Sharon,
Pa, and grew up as an, iron and steel
worker. He worked in the industry at
various places in Western Pennsylvania
and at Elwood, Ind.
People who know Mr.. Davis best are
unable to understand the opposition to
his appointment which was evidenced in
several quarters. The jump from mill
worker to capitalits might distort the
view of many men, but it is not believed
that it has done so in the case of Secre-
tary Davis. Friendships which he form
ed in the earlier days Of his harder labor
have been carefully preserved, and those
which he-holds in the ranks of Big Busl-
ness have been cultivated purely for their
qualities of pleasant relationship and not
because they represented money power.
MIR. Davis counts among his most init
mate friends men who have spent their
lives fighting the workers. cause. That
he knows the Workingman and his prob
lem must be concluded from the tact
that he has, practically all his life, been
identified with the labor movement, both
as a member of the rank and file and as
an officer He holds membership in the
Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel
and Tin Workers, which he first joined
ooo Of SIoo ron Do For nine Uea re
he was first vice-president of that or
ganization and at another period he was
president of the Indiana State Fedora
ton of Labor. In more recent years he
has frequently acted as arblter in labor
disputes and has been successful in settl-
ing numerous cases. During his resi-
dence in Indiana, he held at times both
city and county offices.
Mr.. Davis became interested in oil
development several years ago. In this
business he was fairly successful and
acquired a comfortable fortune. He CEN
tered his business activities in Western
Pennsylvania and became president of
the American Bond & Mortgage Com
pany of Pittsburgh.
While Mr.. Davis has been moderately
successful, to him his greatest achieve
ment has not been in business. Neither
was IL III tGIl pI GIlOIIlSlldl lCCOlu IlS luduC
in building up the Loyal Order of Moose
of which he holds the life office of di-
rector general. The greatest achieve
ment of his career, it is agreed by all who
know Mr.. Davis intimately, and con-
Cured in by himself. is the remarkable
development of Mooseheart, the home
colony for the education, physical de-
velopment and general care of the chill
dren of the deceased members of the
Moose order. Mr. Davis love for chill
dren is his dominating trait and to their
well-being and the development of what
he terms their own town." he has de-
voted the greater part of his time since
1906. 1t would require large volume
to tell the remarkable accomplishments
of Mr. Davis in furthering the cause of
the children at Mooseheart. To Mr..
Davis children are children, but from
them must develop the future manhood
and womanhood of this country. At
Mooseheart there are no class lines, and
in all his dealings, in either business, So
cial, or labor affairs, Mr.. Davis has con-
sistentently refused to recognize class
distinctions.
The opposition to Mr.. Davis which
developed in some instances on both the
side of capital and labor was undoubted-