The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-04-14
100000 WORKERS AND 100000
FARMERS NAILED FLAG TO THE MAST
RAILROAD ORGANIZATIONS WILL TAKE STEPS TO AT
FILIATE LABOR, FRATERNAL AND OTHER OR
CARNATIONS IN THEIR PROGRAM

The 60-hour week in general il
the South because of the bitter fight
against restrictive legislation made
: by some of the same capital that is
now crying out against its own "un.
fair competition"
Not only is much of the capitol OF
the southern and Rhode Island mills
interlocked, but the mills of the two
sections in general produce different
and non-competitive lines of goods
as the census bureau has demon.
strated in its latest study of the tex
tile industry.
Between 80 and 80 per cent of the
product of southern mills is in
coarser goods, such as nenims, heavy
ducks. drills, ticking and staple cali
Goes and ginghams. The only mills
involved in the present strike may
be said to be competitors of these
lines is the group which is owned
lock, stock. and barrel by the Con
solidated, owner of 100000 spindles
in the South.
In their statements before a leg
islative committee the manufacturers
laid great stress upon the part that
Cheap negro labor" plays in the
South, but they were soon brought
up against the hard fact that negro
labor in southern mills is confined
to work in the picker room, dye
house, and like coarse work. 1t is
well known that the white and col
ored races do not work together in
the South, and that white labor is
employed exclusively in most depart
ments of the mills.
NEGRO Labor" Myth is Also Ex-
plOded
Several years ago, when congress
was considering a child-labor law,
witnesses from the South declared
that restrivtive legislation was de-
sired to protect white children. They
told congressman that it was not I'M
common for white children going into
the factories to pass colored children
going to school.
But for the opposition of northern
manufacturers, it is said, southern
states before this would have recog-
nized the evils of unrestricted mill
labor with proper regulatory statutes.
Every effort to improve the condi-
ton of the workers has met with
bitter and literally financed cam
paigns in opposition that had their
inspiration in New England.
The public is going to have the
facts affecting the mining industry
through an investigation to be con-
Quoted by the house committee on la
Dor. of which Congressman John |.
Nolan, of California. is chairman. Mr..
Nolan is also leader of the group in
congress friendly to the workers.
The hearing is to be held on bill
recently introduced by Representa-
tive Oscar E. Bland, of Indiana,
which was discussed in the last issue
of Labor. 1t authorized the presi-
dent to create a commission of three
members. which shall investigate and
report to the president within a spec
flied time the existing labor condi-
lions of coal miners, together with
the causes of the present industrial
dispute between operators of the coal
mines and coal miners"
Chairman Nolan has called opera
tors, miners and labor officials be-
fore the labor committee. He will
exert every effort, he says, to de-
termine the exact figure on produc-
ton costs as compared with wages
and other facts which can be made
the basis for definite recommended
lions designed to eliminate the diff
ferenceS between operators and the
workers.
At the same time Chairman Will
liam E. Borah, who has succeeded
former Senator Kenyon as head of
hn 70 Af
and labor, is holding conferences with
representatives of the United Mine
Workers and officials of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor to determine
whether the senate committee should
also not look into the mining indus
try.
Senator Borah said his purpose is
to get the facts, to be in position to
be useful if conditions made it neces-
sary for his committee to intervene.
A move for sudden and sweep
ing investigation of the strike by the
senate committee is a possibility.
The purpose of such an inquiry, is
made, will be to turn the limelght
on the situation and let the public
know where the blame lies for a diff
ficulty which Mr.. Borah believes
could be averted if the proper meth
DDS were invoked to force arbitra-
ton.
Senator Borah declared that he
will be ready shortly to announce
what course he proposes taking. In
any event. he eXnects to discuss the
coal strike in the senate at an early
date.