Evening star., 1948-09-07
BY the A,seeisisd Press

President Truman's speech here
yesterday follows:
Mr.. Mayor, distinguished leaders
Of labor and fellow citizens, this in
my opinion, is a great day for labor
This Is q great day for the country.
sVhen I can stand on the same
platform, in City Hall in Detroit
Eith the Mayor and Walter Reuther
Ana Frank Martell, know that the
sountry's on the road to recovery.
I am more than happy to join in
This Labor Day celebration.
lam more than happy to be pres
Ant when the CIO and the AFL are
marching together side by side in
the interest of the country.
In unity there is strength. Work
ing people need every ounce OF
strength they possess to meet to-
days problems. Forces in the world
and our Government would destroy
free labor Therefore I am urging
you with everything I have to send
q Congressman from Michigan that
will go along with me on that
program.
As you know I speak plainly some
times-in fact, I speak bluntly some
times. I am going to speak plainly
and bluntly today.
Great Danger Ahead.
These are critical times for labor
And for all who work. There's great
danger ahead. Right now, the whole
future of labor is wrapped up in
one simple proposition.
II in this next election, you get
4 Congress and an administration
friendly to labor. you'll have much
to hope. for. II you get an admins
tration and Congress unfriendly
to labor, you'll have much to fear
and you'd better look out.
I believe that q strong and free
labor movement constitutes tre-
mendous force for preserving our
form OF Government. A free and
strong labor movement is our best
bulwark against Communism.
To remain strong and free you
must have a friendly administra-
ton and q friendly Congress.
There's only one test of friend
ship: The test Of the heart, You
know without being told who is
your friend and who Is not your
friend.
Look back over the years. Be-
tween 1900 and 1888, labor was
dealt body blows.
In each case, these blows COIN
cided with depressions, which oc-
Cured under Republican admins
trations and Republican Congresses.
Blow to Heart Of Labor.
In the depression years of 1907
and 1908, sweeping injunctions were
used to weaken labor and send its
trusted leaders to Jail. But another
blow to the heart of labor came in
1921. when the Republican depres-
sion put nearly 100000 workers
out Of employment.
The strength of labor organiza-
tions dropped Off. A. vicious cam
paign of antilabor propaganda
swept the country. 1t was an era
Of the open shop and the yellow
dog contract. A few years passed
and you all remember, came the
Republican panic of 1880, and the
great depression, which dealt the
workers OF the country terrible
blow.
There was no unemployment COM
pensation under the Republicans
There was no floor under wages
under the Republicans. Average
hourly earnings in 1892 were only
IS cents-under the Republicans.
From IL to $4,000, 900 workers were
out Of work and unemployed-under
the Republicans.
Then, in 1888, came the admins
tration Of Franklin Delano Roose-
velt.
For the first time, labor received
the recognition and encouragement
that 1t needs-that it merits. BY
constructive legislation President
Roosevelt and sympathetic Con-
gress corrected many of the abuses
against labor-against which labor
had been contending.
That Democratic administration
Of which I was part from 1885
passed the Wagner Act, to assure