Evening star., 1928-11-23
DAVIS CITES NEED
|. FOR LIBERAL WAGE
Prosperity Is Product of
Masses, Labor Secretary
Tells Convention.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW ORLEANS, November %
Speaking before the American Fedora
ton of Labor, in session here, James J.
Davis, Secretary of Labor. today said
that progressive business men had come
to see the economic wisdom Of paying
a liberal wage.
The old notion that prosperity is
produced only by the buying Of a
wealthy class has been exploded" he
declared. The man who still thinks
in this mistaken vein is wrong in the
very fundamentals of economics. Pros
perity is not the product of the classes,
it is the product of the masses. Today
our well-paid workers share in the
wealth now being produced and help
create prosperity because they have
acquired all that multiplicity of wants
that once distinguished only the we'll
to-do.'
Secretary Davis, asserting that the
number of strikes and lockouts has de-
creased, declared this was due in part
to a rapid rise in industrial inteli-
gence.'
Workers Study Strike Cost.
He said the change was due in part
to the increase in wages that made a
workman hesitate before quitting his
Job.
Secretary Davis indicated he believed
Workmen had nothing to fear from the
so-called ''labor-saving" machines He
said that they were becoming leisure
producing machines" and that he be-
lieved they had great deal to do with
the movement away from the long dav
and the seven-day week.
He declared prosperity was fairly
general, but said there was room for.
Improvement in some industries. notablv
the textile, shoe and soft coal industries.
Green Asks Higher Scale.
Declaring that "a rich nation like
America cannot ask its employees to
work for wage that is entirely made
quate. William Green, president of
Cne Federatlon, served notice that the
Federation, If necessary. will strive to
defeat Congressman opposed to grant
ing increased salaries to postal EMPLOYEES
In an address last night at a BANQUET
IN his honor, Mr.. Green asserted that
attempts to pass bills in Congress tn
give larger salaries to postal employees
nad been met with cry that ECONOMY
IN Government must prevail"
;. AS result of this plea this legisla-
tlon, SO urgently needed, so fair, SO just.
nad been defeated" Mr.. Green said. II
nave never been influenced by this crv
OF economy. The facts presented could
not be refuted. The rights of postal
employees could only be denied.
thousands of Federal employees are
now able to retire and be assured of an
income, but we are far short of our goal
Inc retirement legislation is inadeojate
IL does not measure up to the standard
required here in America"
turning to the question of wages. Mr..
Green said the federation believed the
income OF workers Should keep pace
with their increasing efficiency"
The prosperity of America" he said
measured not by money in the banks
out by the pay envelope of the workers y
A campaign in 1929 to make every
IaDorer a member of trade union" Was
approved yesterday by the convention
Inc plan, which received the lInani-
nous approval of the delegates was i,
line with recommendation of the ex-
ecutlVe council that special effort be
mace mace next year to double the Fedora
tion's membership.
the report of the organization con,.
mlttee showed that membership at the
end OF the last fiscal year was 893 ola
an increase of 81 1897 over the previous
year. l'e'1ous