New Britain herald., 1922-09-22
STRIKERS HEROIC IN G0MPERS' EYES
Labor Leader Defends Workmen
 and Attacks Labor Board

governmental agencies and the Rail-
 road Labor Board in particular to
 "meddle" in industrial disputes have
 led to increased antasonism between
 employers and workers and instead of improving the situation have muddled
 fl, said Samuel Gompers. preadent of the American Federation of Labor yesterday in an address to the Civil an club at the Hotel Astor.
 After assailing the government for what he termed It's endeavor to coerce labor Mir. Gompers defended strikes and asserted that labor had rendered a great service 10 the nation by fight Ing and striking at whatever sacrifice to maintain the standard of the workers home and repulse an 'in- dustrial autocracy."
 Labor should be acclaimed instead of being condemned for its willingness to bear the burden of the great strikes through which industry is now pass ing, said the labor chief.
 Regards Press As Partisan.
 Mir Gompers prefaced his address with the statement that one of the difficult things about the labor move ment is that it is misunderstood be- cause most persons view it from the stand of labor's antagonists. Even the press, he said, renders partisan opinion against organized labor be- cause proprietors of the great news papers are large employers and be- lieve they are serving their own in- terests thereby
 More than 300 members of the club listened to Mir. Gompers' address. He was introduced by Ernest Green wood of Washington who is active in the international labor conference movement MT. Gompers also said:
 Political governments never do at- tempt to meddle in industrial disputes without muddling the situation. The attempts of government agencies to determine relations and wages have always proven abortive and prejudi- cial to both parties and always brings greater antagonsm between labor and the employer. The attempt made in chasm between the two.
 The railroad labor board is satis- factory to neither side. Instead of the old time negotiations, with the representatives of both sides gathering around the table, the two ssides do not try to agree. Each presents its maximum claims. Instead of being in a conciliatory mood to negotiate. the employer and worker are oppo- nents. To put teeth into the labor law and make the boards decisions enforceable would create further dis sension.
 We want voice in determining conditions under which we work and | do not want to be compelled to &C., cept any terms employers dictate. We want the right to organize and | say how we shall work without the government imposing itself on either party" !
 Wants No Autocracy. i
 This points to an attempt to es- tablish compulsory labor. said Mir. Gompers. who declared that all such effort must be balked' The war was fought to defeat military autoc- racy and labor did Its share, and now labor will not submit to an industrial 
 After the war there was a con- certed effort by capital to reduce wages and the movement went so easily at first it looked like a panic said the speaker. Following closely on the wage cuts came the open shop agitation. Lower earnings meant re- ducing the standard of living in the American home and then 1t was that labor decided to face the issue and fight 1t out
 It took courage and the worker made the sacrifice, but he made it in the coal, the shopmen's. the granite and other strikes in just the same way and inst the same snirit as ha