The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-02
LABOR CHIEFS ENTERTAINED
 AT WHITEHOUSE
President Springs Sur prise In Unannounced
 Holiday Speech
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(Continued from page one) American brand of wages, America had better stay American.
 We have outlawed all artificial privilege. We have had our revolution and reforms. l do not favor 8 corpo- ration government. am for common sense government by all the people ac- cording to the American policy and under the American Constitution"
 Turning to a discussion of his views on labor he asserted that the right of wage earners to organize, bargain col lectively and negotiate through its own Aagents had been determined.
 Referring obviously to the railroad labor board, he called attention that i've have been making an interesting experiment in relation to railroad la bor" and expressed the opinion that 'it could probably be modified, through mutual agreement, to the benefit of all concerned"
 In private employment, he continued, the right to strike goes along with the right to organize. Likewise, he said, the principle of voluntary arbitration is recognized but compulsory arbitration, to my mind, cannot be reconciled with the right of individual freedom"
 Restriction of immigration and en- actment of tariff laws are necessary to preserve American standards for wage earners, the President added, de claring that the present administration had sponsored such legislation. Gov ernment economy, he said, also is nee essary, as is the establishment of peace full conditions which will permit of protection at a minimum cost but by an adequate army and navy"
 Policy Of Healthfulness.
 Instead of permitting the period of deflation which followed the war to be used "to secure a reduction in wages and the dissolution of labor organiza- tions," he said, "the administration adopted policy of healthfulness to business, industry and labor"
 The federal reserve system," he re- lated, "has constantly reduced discount rates, business has revived and the mill lions who were without employment have found plenty of work at an in- creasing rate of wages. It is my be- lief that this policy represents one of the most important and helpful services on the part of the United States gov ernment which was ever performed for the benefit of the wage earners of this nation When almost everything else went crashing down, a change of front took place in time to save them from almost certain destruction.
 I want to see our institutions more and more humane. But do not want to see any of the people cringing sup pliants for the favor of the government when they should all be independent masters of their own destiny. I want to encourage business, that it may pro- vide profitable employment. I want to see jobs hunting for men, rather than men hunting for jobs. I want the factory able to consume at fair price the products of the farm want every individual, no matter how humble, to know that over him is the protection of public law. want to raise the eco nomic condition and increase the moral and spiritual well-being of our country. Ahe foundation for "a. new era is being steadily and surely laid. Whether we shall enter upon it depends upon the attitude of our fellow countrymen. I have an abiding faith in the American people.
 Workers Live Better.
 One of the outstanding features of the present day is that American wage earners are living better than at any other time in our history. They have not only retained but actually increased the gains they made during the war. The cost of living has been high but the increase in wages has been greater. Compilations of the department of la- Dor demonstrate that the wages of an hour, of a day, buy more now than it ever did before.
 
 But increased wages, in terms of money, mean little if they are entirely absorbed by higher prices of the neces- saries of life. In order to know whether an increase in the money wage is also an increase in the real wage, we must know how much the prices have ad- vanced. On that point, I find that the cost of living of the average family, for the same standard of living, has been falling since the high point was reached in 1920 and is now, in terms of money. only 60 per cent above the level of 1923. That is, the increase in wages has far outrun the advance in the cost of living. Real wages, as deter mined by the things that money wages will buy, are higher today than ever before in our history.
 These are some of the material re- suits of present American policies. We have enacted many laws to protect the health of those who are employed in