Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-03-20
LABOR ISNEAR
REVOLTSTACE
Says COMPE;RS
Attitude of Capitalists is AS
sailed by Head of
Federation
TEXTILE STRIKE CITED
Mr. Gompers Declares The Course
Taken by the Workers Will be Sup
ported by Public Opinion

Boston, March 20.-Samuel Com
pers, in speech here yesterday,
warned all America that labor is
very near a revolt IS a result of the
stiff-necked attitude of the capital
lists.
"The present attitude of capital
toward labor" he declared, "is max
ing it extremely difficult for disputes
between capital and labor to be
peaceably and reasonably adjusted" p"
with the existing financial de.
preston and The enormous profits Of
war safely utcked away, the manu-
facturers hereabouts think they have
labor at their mercy and intend, If
they can. to grind labor down until
it is forced TO take such terms Of
wages and hours as the mill owners
at their own good pleasure choose
to give them.
"The thought of arbitration
which capital vas forced to adopt
during the period of prosperity
seems now very far away. These
gentlemen intend to dictate. They
thinl, that they now have every
thing in their hands. But while la
Dor shows itself peaceable and al
ways advantage it is not only more
conscious Of its power than ever be-
fore, but it is going to see that pow>
er much more intelligently than in
the past. When labor show teit
peaceable and always open to rea'
sonable discussion and adjustments
and capital holds completely alCof,
issuing ukase from behind closed
doors, from time to time, to those
whom it fancies it has at its mercy.
there is little question which side
public opinion will support or what
the outsmoa will be.
"The demands made on The textile
workers in cities in New Hampshire,
Rhode Island and districts Of Massa-
chusetts. are illogical, unreasonable,
incxcusable from employers who
profess to have any desire to do
Justice to their workmen.
lpro- do mod ON do mod ON dom
"Will you tell me why, with the
warehouses bursting, as we are in
formed on every hand, with goods Of
various kinds; with concerns utterly
unable to clean up quickly. if at all.
on their sales; with business, ac,
cording to the mill owners them
selves, at an utter standstill there
is need to 90 back to the 54-hour
week?
"And will anyone explain to me
how, with the cost of living, as the
most optimistic calculations assert.
reduced bu: Is per cent and the cost
OF wages of labor reduced 3S per
cent, these men expect to stimulate
business? Millions Of laboring men
are out of employment in this com
try. Millions more, if their plans
should carry, would be so underpaid
as to have the greatest difficulty in
providing themselves and families
with necessities of life.
IF the nation. an enormous per,
centage of which is represented by
the laborers. is TO stop its buyers
strike and goods are 10 commence to
move. do you think an enormous re-
ducton Of wages the legitimate and
reasonable step to take to bring this
about? This last move on the part
Of the manufacturers is bad busi-
ness, looked at purely from their
own selfish standpoint. Their short
sightcdness defeats their own ends.
Unemployment, underpayment never
in the world meant business pros
perity. And what is the worse for
these employers, they deny a certain
human equation which, when ty-
rany becomes insupportable, results
in revolt.
Human nature. under such cir
cunstances, not only revolts, it also
unites."