The Indianapolis times., 1923-09-03
PAST YEAR
! SUCCESSFUL
FOR LABOR
Some SetbackSl Many Gains,
Is History Of Twelve
Months.
Rv LOWELL, MELLETT

r. celebration of the day named IN
IL its honor, labor doubtless is
giving some thought to the year
which today brings to a close. 1t has
been a singuiarly interesting year
from the standpoint Of labor, year Of
successes and setbacks
Listed large among the successes
are those in the political field They
lear the names of Brookhart, Wheeler.
Dill, Magnus Johnson, Shipstead and
Frazier new United States Senators
who were given the united support
OF labor organizations. Together with
a great number of friends elected
to the House, and friends already in
the Senate, these men insure labor
against reactionary legislation by Con-
gress for some time at least
Cooperate With Farmers
AS important, at least, is the man
ner in which labor obtained it's sue
cess at the polls. 1t resulted, in al
most every instance, from effective
cooperation with the farmers. 1t may
lie the beginning Of cooperation that
will go a long way to cure economic
Ills Iom which both labor and agri-
culture have suffered.
In the purely economic field labor
has extended itself materially. Twenty
labor banks have been established
during the year, notable among them
being the Federation Bank in New
York, the Clothing Workers Bank In
Chicago and the Telegraphers Bank In
St. Louis. In this same field must be
included the growing movemen,
toward cooperation with employers In
many lines. The. most striking exam
pie is offered by the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad, whose union employees
are working hand in hand with Daniel
Willard to promote efficiency and
economy in operation and extension
of the systems business in every way
Win Over Open Shop
In the realm of warfare, labor Is
able apparently to claim a pretty
complete victory over the forces be.
hind the open shop movement and
the movement to force wages down TO
the pre'war level II Is asserted thar
the roll call OF organized labor is as
long or longer than 1t was this day
one year ago. while wages have no;
gone down. In faca it may be SAID
that, the country taken as a whole
the margin between wages and the
cost Of living has been slightly re-
duCed. Plentiful employment, with
labor in demand, has helped 10 bring
this about. The longest struggle
since the war against proposed
wage cut was finally won in July,
when. after eighteen months, the
granite and quarry workers Of the
country went back to work.
Rail Strike Biggest
The outstanding strike Of the year
was that Of the railroad shopmen,
which brought on the Daugherty de
mand for an injunction and Judge
Wilkerson's granting OF the demand,
This injunction, so sweeping in It's
terms that labor leaders claimed with
much justification that it violated the
bill Of rights in the United States Con
stituuon, proved of doubtful benefit
10 the railroads Indicating this is
the fact that the majority Of the
roads proceeded to settle the strike
BY dealing with the very labor leaders
enjoined by the court from having
any hand in the strike. A minority,
however, refused to settle and this
strike still proceeds, Notwithstanding
that the drastic court order was made
permanent during the summer at the
request Of the attorney general.
At the same time, the attorney
general asked and obtained the
quashing Of proceedings in another
Federal Court, whereby it had been
sought to tie the hands Of the coal
miners leaders in their efforts to
direct and control a strike Of bitumi-
nous miners.
Opinion Friendly
In the field of public opinion, labor
has gained materially and one Of the
forces contributing largely to this
important fact has been that of the
churches. The Federal Council Of
Churches has continued its investiga-
tions Of the twelve-hour-day in the
steel mills and has pressed it's objec-
tions so insistently and convincingly
that the long hoped-for reform seems
about to be effected The mill owners
have admitted that in moving toward
better hours they are bowing to pub
lie opinion and the churches are given
much of the credit for marshaling
public opinion IN behalf of the work
ers.