The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1922-09-08
DAVIS SPEAKS At
M00SEHEART, i'll.
Secretary of Labor Attacks Rad
icalS in United States.
CALLS THEM UNIONS FOES
Member of Harding's Cabinet DepIores
Instances of Violence in connec-
ton With the Rail and Coal
Mine Strikes

labor has made great strides in
the last year, Secretary Davis of the
Labor department declared here in
Labor day address, In spite of unem-
plOyment, he declared, 1t has fought
off all attempts to decrease wage
levels set up during the war, and safe
ly passed a war crisis Working men
grown accustomed TO comforts In life
not tasted before" he added, twill
now find them preserved throughout"
Secretary Davis deplored instances
of violence in connection with strikes,
declaring that mo gibbet can be built
too high for those who execute such
dastardly'' deeds, as the deliberate"
wrecking of train recently at Gary,
Ind.
"All the power of law and order
in America must be extended to the
utmost to exterminate the class of
men who bark back to the dark ages
In their disregard of property and
human life" the secretary declared.
'They can have no part in our Amer
lea of today"
such horrors, he said, "were equally
guilty" with the actual perpetrators.
Referring specifically to the recent
slaughter" of workingmen In the.
state of Illinois, Mr.. Davis described
1t as a "revolting spectacle" which
advanced not jot the cause In
which the men fell"
Kept Wage Level Up.
Despite the pressure of a tremen-
dous mass Of unemployed, despite the
efforts Of few reactionary employers
who selfishly sought to take advan-
tage of the distress of labor and the
nation, we have kept the general
level of wages up" he declared. ST
am safe in saying the average COM
pensatiOn of the man who tolls today
is within a few per cent of what it
was year ago, and some have re-
ceived an increase.
"Today we have some men in in
dustry who protest with noisy virtue
that they favor high wages, and that
they pay high wages. A little In
quiry into these deceptive averages,
however, soon reveals that the high
wages are to specialized workers, So
called experts, who work with plat
and map. This appeals to me not at
all, because they as class are able
to take care of themselves. l am
for saving wage for the man who
works with his hands, the man who,
In the words of the Scripture, earns
his bread with the sweat of his brow
the man who swings a hammer or
pick
High Wages Recover Prosperity.
Continuation of high wage levels,
Mr.. Davis predicted, would bring pros
perity in the United States, because
it would increase the nations con-
Stunning power There have been in
dustriaI conflicts, he said, referring
to the mines, rail and textile strikes,
which have meant incalculable loss,"
and loss that twill reach every man.
woman and child in America.
Zone great prerequisite there is to
continued progress on the path of
prosperity" he continued, "that is in
dustrial peace. Employers and workers
must join forces if the campaign is
to be completely successful.
"Surely American genius can find
way to put it's own house in order, to
bring to an end that destructive in
dustrial warfare that saps the very
blood of progress and prosperity.
''These strikes give deplorable op-
pOrtunity to the passions Of un-
scrupulous men on both sides of each
controversy. They open the way to
the cruel and calculating, the blood
thirsty and irresponsible"
Must End Strife.
After condemning instances of
violence In the rail and mine strikes,
he said:
eve must and will find a way to
end this fractricidal strife In industry
We must and will find means to settle
these industrial disputes without re-
course to the futile arbitrament of
force.
1--WE must see to it that the worker
Is guarded against the loss of wages
the employer against the loss of
profits and the public against the loss
of service which comes through these
suspensions of work.
II venture to say that not one in
dustriai dispute out of thousand
has ever been permanently settled ex-
cept in one way-by the negotiations
OF reasonable men, In a reasonable
frame of mind, who sat down to dis.
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