The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-10-27
Roosevelt Fuvors
Organized Labor
Conmends Collective Bar
goining; Condemns
Low Wages

Houston, Tex-President Roosevelt,
in a message to the annual convention
Of the American Federation Of Labor
here, lauded organized labor, praised
collective bargaining, recommended
studying the set-up of industrial re-
lations in Great Britain and Sweden,
and expressed hope for peace in the
labor movement.
The President Message
President Roosevelt's m essage,
dated from the White House, Septem-
Der %, read:
My dear President Green:
VIII you be good enough to extend
my warm greetings to those who at
tend the F'ifty-eighth Annual Conven-
ton Of the American Federation Of
Labor? ! wish much that | could ac-
cept your very kind invitation to the
Convention but in these critical days
Houston is, for me, little too far
from Washington.
During your lifetime and mine a
vast improvement in the conditions of
labor and the pay Of labor in many
occupations in most parts Of the
country has been brought about. This
has come about largely through the
efforts Of organized labor But much
still remains to be done.
Collective bargaining is one Of the
most useful devices for fair and con-
structive human relations and collec-
tive bargaining in the industrial field
presupposes some kind of organiza-
ton of employees to conduct their part
of such bargaining.
Ihope you will give attention to the
matter which / am always concerned
about, namely, finding ways for
steady employment Of labor and in
creasing the annual purchasing power.
1t is what a worker earns for himself
and his family in the course of year
which is important, not only for his
own economic plan for his life, but
for the economic life of the nation
In many sections and in many occupa-
tions which fall under the general
classification Of labor, there are mill
ions of Americans who suffer from in
adequate pay or over-long hours, or
both.
Because for more than quarter of
century have had so many associa-
tions and friendships with officers Of
the American Federation of Labor and
of the International Unions which it
represents, | venture to express the
hope that the Convention will leave
open every possible door of access to
peace and progress in the affairs Of
organized labor in the United States.
If leaders of organized labor can make
and keep the peace between various
opinions and factions within the labor
group itself, it will vastly increase the
prestige of labor with the country and
prevent the reaction which otherwise
is bound to injure the workers them
selves.
| commend to all representatives of
labor and management the reading Of
the report on relations between en-
ployers and employees in England and
in Sweden, which has been made by
a number of prominent Americans dur
ing the past summer. The outstand-
ing feature OF this report is that in
both these countries cooperation, COM
promise and labor peace seem to be
the rule rather than the exception.
| hope the Federation will have a
highly successful Convention and that
you will ever keep before you the
American ideals of greater social and
economic security.
Very sincerely yours,
sd FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT.
In a talk with newspaper CORE
spondents regarding the peace sug-
gestion in the Roosevelt message,
William Green, president of the A. F.
of L. said:
"We negotiated an agreement last
December and it was accepted by the
C. !. O. committee but vetoed by John
L. Lewis. | am not sure that the
President knew of this aspect of the
situation, but we do appreciate his in
terest'