Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-08-20
HARDING CHOSE
AN UNE
TIME To SPEAK,
G0MPERS' VIEW
Message Has Added to the
Difficulties of the Present
Industrial Situation, Says
Labor Leader,
PROPOSED NEW LAWS
TO MEET OPPOSITION
Voices Protest Against Civ
ing the Labor Board More
Power and to Punish
Crimes Against Aliens,


Washington, Aug. 19.-Samuel
Gompers, president of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, expressed
the opinion today that President
Harding had added TO the diff
culties of the present industrial
situation by his message of yestef-
day and likewise had chosen ar
unfortunate time for its delivery.
The labor chief, in a critical dis
cussion Of the presidents message.
announced that his organizations
would oppose any legislation carry
ing out the suggestions tEat the
railroad labor board be given power
to enforce it's decisions, or to allow
the federal government to punish
crimes against aliens; suCn as those
alleged to have been committed
during the Herrin H., massacre.
while he described the presidents
proposals for legislation to control
coal distribution as probably inn
practical
Progress Was Being Made.
'It was unfortunate that the
president should have gone to con-
gress yesterday" Mr.. Gompers sad:
1.-The coal miners had just effected
an agreement with a part of the bi-
luminous operators. on the morn
ing before the president spoke, the
representative of railroad workers
and executives of the railroads
were in conference over the strike.
Progress was being made, but they
took a. recess over the noon hour.
When the executives came back in
the afternoon, after hearing of the
presidents speech. they were in a
different mood, The meeting ad-
journed.
Misapplied Psychology
at is a matter OIL common
knowledge that Senator Watson,
republican, of Indiana, who as
member of the house was rep
resentative of big business ana
before his election to the senate
was lobbyist and is now be-
lieved to have close relations with
the president was in frequent
communication with the eXecu-
lives in New York. Notwithstand-
ing until the president spoke, II
seemed the matter was being
worked out TO the satisfaction or
both sides. lie could well have
deferred to await cooler ana
later Judgment of the situation.
1t was misapplied psychology TO
go when he did"
In declaring that labor would
resist legislation to give the Ran
road Labor Board power to en-
force its decisions Mr.. Gompers
expressed faith that the people
will not give up the principles of
guaranteed freedom and that con-
gress will not enact law to
deprive working people of the
right to strike" Such measure.
he said, would mean slavery
and that railroad workers would
have to go to work whether they
felt like it or not.
Pm not willing to believe the
president had in mind the full
consequences of his act, Mr..
Gompcrs commented. "If there
can be compulsory labor for
working people, will it not allow
the probability of enforcing labor
on every one, whether wage earn
ers or not?"
"Nasty Piece of Business"
MIR. Gompers said that while
the Herrin massacre was "a mas
tv piece of business" which mo-
body could justify" there was
no reason in it to override the
constitution and set aside the
rights of states" by giving the
federal government power to pro-
tect aliens.
what is in the back of the
heads of those who father this
sort of legislation is that it might |
be used as a method of giving
federal protection to aliens while
using them as strike breakers.
he asserted.
Mr.. Gompers also criticized the
presidents statement that the coal
strike had showed the country
"at the mercy of the United Mine
Workers"
President is Wrong
'"If high finance and big busi- |
ness can force wage reductions |
that destroy the buying power of
the people," he said, that will |
he a greater menace to the pub
lie than any organization of la |
bor. The president is wrong when !
he says there was a conspiracy |
to stop trains on the railroads |
and conspiracy between the
miners and the rail workers. |
Trains were stopped because To-
comotives were unfit for service. |
knowing the heads of the rail-
road and miners unions as /
know them. can say he was
wrong in conveying the impress
sion that they We're conspiring /
against the government or the
common welfare"