The Connecticut labor news., 1922-03-24

he main purpose or TINS species
Of legislation is the belief that it will
stop strikes. * Legislation Of this
character may be we'll termed to con-
fine the aspirations of the working
people for a better life in a legalistic
straight jacket l am rather proud
that in my life | can place myself in
the company Of the martyred Lin
coin who on occasion of strike Of
boot and shoe workers in Hartford,
Conn, in 1864, declared: THANK God
we have a system OF labor where
there can be a strike. Whatever the
pressure there is point where the
Workingmen may stop"
There has grown up an eXagger-
ated notion that there is such ire
mendous loss in production due to
strikes. | have few figures to sub
nit. The New York board Of media
ton and arbitration, which recorded
the number of man-days lost by all
wage carriers because of strikes and
lockouts for the period of 10 years
from 1904 to 1914 show that the num-
Der of working days in the year lost
by all workers on account Of labor
disputes is a little less than one out
Of every 100 Work-days and these
figures are regarded as representative
of the general situation in other
states. During this same Io-year
period in the great industrial state Of
New York, Of the 20 per cent. Of its
workmen unemployed, less than I per
cent was due to industrial disputes,
I.2 per cent due to disability, and
over 16 per cent. due to lack of work.
For instance, $4,000 lives and 2o6,-
ooo, 900 work-days were lost in 1910 as
a result Of industrial accidents, in
volving a net economic loss to the
country Of over $1,000, 900, 900, and
authorities agre that over IS per cent.
of this waste is preventablc.
The idea (of the proposed legisla-
tion) is that Justice will be accorded
to labor and the working people JUS
tice! If the experience OF the past 20
years is to be gagged as to the JUS
tice melted out to the great mass Of
the people and particularly the work
ing people, save us from justice. y *
The chief justice of the supreme court
OF the United States has said repeat
eddy and emphasized it recently that
there must be change in the admin
istration of justice, particularly to the
poor OF our country. Not more than
d Wtck ago d IOIIucI HOuOIcu Sell
ator from the Empire State Of New
before the Bar Association, in es-
sencc, that there is no opportunity
for justice for the poor of our coun-
try. Is it reasonable to expect
more justice at the hands Of these
courts or boards such as exist in
Kansas than from the ordinary courts
OF our country and our state mcte out
to the working people?
Do you think for moment that
you can prevent the great masses of
the people from aspiring to something
better in this life? Do you think for
a moment that the threat Of being
sent to jai lis going to deter the mass
es of the people of the United States
How do you thing an individual
workman can resent a wrong or OBJ
tain a right in one of these modern
industrial establishments? 1t is like
a voice in the Wilderness in modern
industrial plant with its machinery
and improved tools and tbs power
The individual in the modern indus
trial plant has lost his identity and
lost his power
One would imagine, gentlemen, that
our industry, that our government
have gone to the damnaton bow
vows on account Of strikes. Where
do you find anywhere in the world
where the working people produce as
much as the working people of the
United States produce? If you
want to look for that progress which
the proposers Of this species Of legis-
lation want, look to China where
there are no strikes.
Has the Kansas Industrial Court
law prevented strikes? There have
been more strikes and larger num-
bers Of men on strike since the estab-
Ishment Of the Industrial Court law
in Kansas than at any time previous
to the enactment Of that law. *
The government Of Kansas did moi
stop the strike Of the coal miners
which had been on for severa
months. 1t was the organization O
the miners which stopped that strike
In all the Australasian countrie:
the same law was enacted and nov
after an experience Of more than &c
years they are getting away from tht
compulsory features of the law. |:
there to be no lesson for us?
Let me say this to you, gentlemen
if there is an act passed and place.