Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-09-13
DAVIS SPEAKS At
M00SEHEART, ILL,
Secretary of Labor Attacks Rad
iCals in United States.
CALLS THEM UNIONS FOES
Member Of Harding's Cabinet Deplores
Instances Of Violence in connec-
ton With the Rail anG Coal
Mine Strikes

/ MoOseheart, H., Sept. 5.-American
\ labor has made great strides In
\ the last year, Secretary Davis of the
I Labor department declared here in a
I Labor day address. In spite Of unem-
\ ployment. he declared. IL has fought
I OF all attempts TO decrease wage
/ levels set up during the war, and safe
/ ~ passed a war crisis Working men
/ grown accustomed 20 comforts In life
not tasted before" he added. twill
now find them preserved throughout"
I Secretary Davis deplored instances
T Of violence In connection with strikes,
\ declaring that mo silbet can be built
7 too high for those who execute such
\ dastardly' deeds. as the deliberate"
wrecking Of a train recently ut Gary.
\ Ind
"All the power OF law and order
I in America must be extended 10 the
I utmost Co 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"
Those who planned or cOuntenanced
such horrors, he said. ''were equally
/ guilty" with the actual perpetrators.
Referring specifically 10 the recent
slaughter" of wOrkingmen in the
/ state of Illinois, Mr.. Davis described
il as a 'revolting spectacle" which
advanced not a 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 a 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. Il
am safe In saying the average COM
/ pensatiOn of the man who tolls today
is within a few per cent of what il
: was a year ago. and some have re-
/ ceived an increase.
To-day we have some men in in
I dustry who protest With noisy virtue
/ that they favor high wages, and that
/ they pay high wages. \ little in
7 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 a class are able
/ 10 take care Of themselves. / am
! for a saving wage for the man who
works with his hands, the man who,
In Ns. - rms
/ his bread with the sweat of his brow
\ the man who swings a hammer or a
I pick"
HIGH Wages Recover Prosperity.
Continuation of high wage levels.
! Mr.. Davis predicted. would bring pros
/ perity in the United States. because
/ IL would increase the nations con-
/ suming power. There have been in
I dustrial conflicts. he said, referring
| TO the mines, rail and textile strikes.
which have meant incalculable loss"
/ and loss that evil reach every man,
/ woman and child in America.
zone great prerequisite there is TO
I continued progress on the path Of
prosperity" he continued, that is in
I dustrial peace. Employers and workers
must join forces f the campaign is
/ 10 be completely successful.
surely American genius can find a
way to put its own house in order, 10
| bring to an end hat destructive in
dustrial warfare that saps the very
blood OF progress and prosperity.
These strikes give deplOrable OPP
portunity TO the passions OF I'M
scrupulous men or both sides of each
controversy. They open the way TO
the cruel and calculating, the blood
thirsty and irresponsible"
Must End Strife.
After condemnlng instances Of
violence In the rail and mine strikes.
/ he said:
1--WE must and will find a way 10
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
! dustrial dispute out of a thousand
I 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
cuss the issues in a spirit of fairness
/ and cooperation"