Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1924-11-28
ORGANIZE DLABOR URGED
TO STUDY WORLD POWER
CCOntinued from Page ons)

By conferences on the possibility
Of establishing a permanent world bu-
reau for the collection of data, the
preparation of Inventories Of the
worlds resources, and the exchange
Of industrial and scientific informa-
ton through appointed representa-
tives in the various countries.
Mistaken Idea of Conference
There has been tendency to re-
gard the World Power conference as
a meeting Of scientists and engineers
devoted to consideration of certain
problems which have only a limited
sphere Of application and which are
very largely the property of the spe-
cialist. There is a certain amount of
truth in this If attention is devoted
merely to isolated sections Of the con-
ference and not to the conference as
a whole; but the real function of the
conference, and in this may lie it's last
ing significance, bears on wider eco
nomic developments and without an
additional international discussion of
purely economical difficulties may APP
pear singularly futile after previous
experiments in the same line, it
touches on certain fundamentals
which have never before entered into
consideration.
The difficulty of previous inter-
national conferences has been their
essentially bureaucratic nature, cou-
pied with the preponderance of aca-
demic theories in discussion over
those who are every day at grips with
the problems discussed. The World
Power Conference is a serious effort
to obtain international cooperation,
not only in experience, but also in
practice and knowledge so that some-
thing like a practical basis may be
established for the great develop
ments of the future.
Cooperation Vital Factor
1t has become more and more
evident that the economic prosperity
of the world depends on the closer CO.
operation of engineers, scientists, and
economists, since the productive value
Of any theory or any principle de-
ponds on it's translation into a scheme
of development which can be immedi-
ately used, either to improve the in
dustrial equipment of any country or
to make a more scientific use of the
natural resources at its disposal. It
is quite useless to base any scheme of
radical improvement solely on the adj
vice Of politicians, social theories, or
even financiers, since, under present
conditions, there is no lack of capital
for financing plans provided they have
been established in every detail and
found to have a direct productive
value.
"The various purposes 70 the con-
ference was to consider every possible
subject that had any connection with
power in any form. Papers were SUBJ.
mitted by individuals and groups at
tending, from all countries and in
every possible subject. Concisely
stated, they were On natural resources,
natural resources and industrializa-
ton, international cooperation in the
field of power, standardization, trac-
ton, generation and utilization of
power, power in industry, education
and research, and financing and fields
of finance for power.
Reports Fill Three Volumes
"The report of the conference fills
three large volumes; the American
Federation of Labor having one of
the reports for record, and your audi
tors having one for reports as rep
resentatives.
at is obviously impossible to go
into detail on all of the subject mat
tiers that were brought before the con-
ference. Three halls were used con-
tinuously and sometimes more; diff
ferent sections of the conference be-
ing in session, considering the diff
ferent subject matters, concurrently.
1.-THE representatives of labor were
given every courtesy by the delegates
from the other interests attending the
conference. While there was no set
program that assigned a place to the
labor representatives on the platform,
your representatives were heard from
the platform under the subject mat
ter of The Economic and Social As
pect of the Power Situation
LabOr's Position Pointed Out.
at must be kept in mind that no
subject matter presented to the con-
ference was subject to debate or con-
troversy, as it was not the intent of
this first conference to adopt or re-
ject, sanction or refuse to sanction,
any plan or plans that might be sub
mitted by those contributing papers
or subjects, and your representatives
fully realized this being true, the
conference was no place to bring in
subject matter of a controversial ma
ture; so that in addressing the con-
ference, the representatives who had
the floor confined himself to state
ments as to labOr's position in the
general scheme Of things as it related
to the power situation in the various
countries; labOr's desire to render as
sistanee in any movement that had
for its purpose the betterment Of hv-
ing conditions for all the people; and
fta DESIRE IN raFldaF assistance IN the