Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-25
Head Of American Federation
of Labor Wants New Leg
isIative Body of Business
Experts
BY EDWARD F. ROBERTS

WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct =
A third house of congress, a house
to be elected along unique lines and
to have for it's exclusive province
the control of American business
and industry, is the remarkable So
luton offered by Samuel Gompers,
president OF the American Fedora
ton of Labor, for our economic
problems and troubles.
AS the man who for forty years
has guided the destinies of the
greatest labor organization in the
world Mr.. Gompers is naturally
primarily concerned with the inter
ests and aspirations of the wage
Garner, but his novel plan for the
reorganization Of our national gov
eminent is offered from the point
of view of business as a whole, in
the interests of the employer as
much as the employee. 1t is offered
as something else, something per-
haps of even greatr Importance as
an effective check to the spread of
radicalism in the United States.
Mr.. Gompers does not believe that
Bolshevism or any similar violent
theory Of radicalism has made any
Roadway in the United States. Par
| ticularly does he deny that Amer
| lean labor is sympathetic to any
such ideas, but at the same time
he is convinced that there is a gen
eral tendency toward socialisic
doctrines which can only be halted
by very definite changes in the con-
duct and policy of our govern
ment.
| What Does Labor Want?
"What does American labor want
and how does it propose to get it,"
1t was for an answer to that ques-
ton that I went to the headquar-
ters of the American Federation of
Labor in Washington. l found Mr..
, Gompers surrounded by two secre-
/ taries and a stenographer and APP
parently rJ.ng to do about six
/ things at the same time. In the CEN
ter Of the office a rather unhappy
sculptor was striving to complete
a bust which had been ordered by
one Of the great international
unions.
Mr.. GomperS answered my Ques-
ton with the promptness of a man
platforms and who has had prob
ably more experience in debate than
the oldest lawyer at the American
bar.
American labor wants no more
than any other section of the Ameri-
can people," he said. "It wants bet
ter conditions of life and work for
every day il every year. 1t is not
-
is opposed to inefficiency in govern
ment. It is opposed to a political
government that interfereS with in
dustrial and business conditions
which it does not understand. Our
political government has done a
magnificent work. It gave regenera-
ton to the world. 1t has protected
our people in their political rights
and it has led US to a condition of
freedom and democracy unknown to
any other nation in the history of
the world. 1t will continue to serve
nObly for no one knows how long,
but it can not serve in all ca aci-
ties without strangling the very
thing it was devised to save-hu-
man liberty.
Vast Changes
Since our form of government
was created we have developed a
tremendous industrial organization
which has revolutionized society
and produced conditions which the
founders of our republic knew moth
ing about and could not have fore
seen. The attempts of our political
/ government to regulate this vast
business machine can lead only >
state socialism, and state socialism
is repugnaEt to the American
mind"
Have you an alternatiVe?"
Yes, L believe that we are COM
ing to the place where the control
of industry will be put in the hands
of a body of men who will not be
| lawyers or politicians, but men IA
miliar with the workings of the in
dustrial machine, men who have a
practical knt wledse of it's problems
and the natural economic laws
which govern its operation
"EIow would such a body be Gre
ated?"
Not by the haphazard methods
of voting by which we elect our
/ political officials where a mans
! qualifications for the office he seeks
are OLleu the 1dSL IulnS cOnSlQere0.
! # considered at all. The plan [ have
in mind is simply an extension of
what is already happening in a
great many industries and is rapid
ly becoming the rule in all indus
trial organizations. Employers in
every trade are grouped together
and make rules which not only af-
f,ct the mate els they handle but
their own conduct. The workers are
also organized and make laws for
their own membership. [ would
have each of these groups in each
industry elect representatives who
would meet in joint caucus to con-
slider the problems in their own par
ticular trade or craft. This caucus
would in turn elect representatives
to a national body comprised of
delegates from all the individual in
dustrial groups. Each caucus would
submit it's recommendation to the
national body through its delegates
and in this manner all the problems
and needs of industry would be
dealt with by body Of experts and
not, as at present by a congress