The labor world., 1922-02-18
HALL: and SMITH
Meet BUSINESS
and union men
Merchants and Public Officials
Spend Happy Evening as .
Guests Of Union Labor,

Union men were we'll pleased with
the results of the open meeting Of
the Federated Trades assembly held
last Friday evening at Owls hall at
| which public officials and local mey-,
chants were the guests. The business
of the assembly was transacted in.
quick order after which the uni IN
men and visitors were treated with
able speeches by +. G. Hall, presi-
dent of the Minnesota State Fedora
'tlon of Labor. and aul J. Smith, Or
ganizer for the American Federation
of Labor.
Mr.. Hall urged closer co-operaticn
and a. better understanding between
the workers and merchants. He told
OF the fight now being waged against
union labor and the efforts of tho
anti-unionists to put over a number
OF bills inimical to the workers. He
advised the workers to keep in touch
with the ,legisla tive situation and see
to it that labor's friends are elected
to congress and the state legislature.
Mr.. Smith. who is Goa! miner, re-
lated conditions in the mining indus
try: said that miners were paid but,
S1.0S ton for mining coal that was
solid for $500. and hit at the enc.
mics of labor who were trying to rob
the workers Of the freedom and JUS
tice they contended for during the
war.
Wall Street "COmbinc.''
"When the European countrie,
were first engaged in battle, we hail
gained the respect of society, state
and federal COVE, mint because Of
eth service we gave,' Mr.. Smith said
Labor backd the war whole heart
edly because the American Fedora
ton of Labor had fought for those
principles of humanity for 40 years.
Hardly had the echoes Of the guns
died away, when in Wall street
financial com bine was formed to
crush the labor movement. This
combine controls the industry of the
United States through it's interlock-
ing directorates. Its first move was
campaign for speeding up produce
ton. They got their result so that
in a short time industry had to be
crrtailed and 100000 men were
!. out Of work.
Went to President.
During the war; the national
LABOR board had decreed that labor
should be allowed the right CT COL
| lective bargaining. The representa-
tives of this combine walked into
the White House at Washington and
told the president there would be no
letup in the industrial depression
until the industries were allowed to
establish their own workday. and pay
without government. interference.
The work of the combine EXTEND
ed to the West Virginia coal mines:
TO. the meat packing employees. who
We're. forced to go. back to work on
a prewar basis of s14.SO a week for
common labor The PENNSYLVANIA
railroad defied the national railroad
labor boar Gand a strike was calle:l
for Oct. 80. The president called the
road executives in conference and
told them that E. public position must
beRtaken, and provision Of the Esch-
Cummings law must be enforced"
~ WOULD SUE UNIONS. d,
.,S8Organized labor in Massachusetts,
lsssSarranging to combat the "sue"'
slaRszat the polls next Nov. Under this
act labor. unions. can be sued, just
as Incorporated, ), bodies. When. the
legislature passed the bill organized d
labor secured the signature Of $4,000
voters = WHO requested that it be
placed on the ballot ~for referendum
a. the next. election. If the voters
DO 1not reject the law it becomes
effective the first of next year. II FL !