Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-10-05
IMMIGRATION
Law PRAISED
BY SEC. DAVIS

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 4, H9-Amer-
icas chiefs of labor champions OF
more drastic immigration laws, heard
from the lips of Secretary of Labor
James J. Davis today the statement
that the present restrictive law was
the greatest piece of legislation en-'I
acted in fifty years.
The cabinet officer, addressing the
convention of the American Fedora
ton of Labor, declared that the pres
,ent scale of wages prevailing in
American induStry-the highest in
history would have been impossible
without it.
Secretary Davis reviewed for the
379 delegates from every state in
the union; Canada, Mexico, Great
Britain and other countries, the
world situation concerning raw ma
terials and labor conditions.
Never before, he told them, has
American industry been so free from
strife as it is today "We have in
America only one serious labor con-
troversy, and that will always exist
as long as the industry remains in
its present condition"
Labor'S leaders construed the cab
met officers remarks to pertain to
the coal strike in western and
central Pennsylvania. Earlier in the
days activities the executive council
of the Federation proposed that a
conference be held in Pittsburgh,
Nov IA at which the council and
IoI .iY1oc TTY1itnd
Mine Workers officials. The proposal,
designed to assist the mine workers,
will come up for action on the con-
vention floor later.
Other highllghts OF the secretaryS
address were punctuated with the
following sentences:
1.-THE business of saving the ma
tion's resources is not primarily the
work of labor. We have
been wasting our natural resources
with criminal recklessneSs.
1--WE have been a great deal more
interested in wealth than common
wealth"
"It is time we put an end to the
enormous waste that has been and
still is, going on
1--WE long ago learned that there is
no essential conflict between capital
and labor"
"An industrial plant is fine for
any community if it pays good
wages wages high enough to supply
the wage -earner's wants.
"In every sense the heads of in
dustries have a, very human respon-
sibility to fulfill"
mo industry that does not set
aside reserves for its future, no in
dustry that pays poor wages, that is
nothing but a machine for grinding
out dividends for it's owners, deserves
anything of those who live within
its shadow. It is not benefactioll
but a curse
Touching directly on national poll
tics, Secretary Davis said:
when / think Of the turnover in
industry, am reminded of turn
over in government itself. Ever since
our president stated he did not choose
to run again, I have been thinking
now and then of the turnover that
is going to take place in the depart
ment of labor Every man has his
boss, you see. My boss is the presi-
dent, and he's a good one too-yet
even the president of the United
States has his boss, the great Ameri-
can people,
United States Senator Hiram
johnson, addressing the convention
during the morning session, defended
the direct primary law; urged sup
mort, for Colorado river DEVELOPMENT
and appealed for eternal vigilance on
the part of labor for the sake Of
humanity to see that labors monu-
mental gains we're not lost.
Labor, he said, had been triurn-
phant in the original purpose for
which unionism was devised. It should
be on guard, he declared during
this age OF prosperity and this era