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Labor Autocratic, Whines Employers

New York. We are patriotic, but labor is autocratic is the burden of a whine telegraphed to President Wilson by the National Founders' Association, which held its annual convention in this city.

In the telegram it was stated that efforts of these employers to supply the essentials for military equipment would be without avail "unless the present autocratic demands of some branches of labor for purely selfish advantage are dissipated."

The

In his opening address, William H. Barr, president of the association, snarled at President Wilson's solution of the eight-hour demand of the railroad train service employes. Federal Department of Labor was also attacked by this "broad-gauged business men" because of its establishment of the United States Public Service Reserve, a movement which is intended to supply necessary labor through voluntary action on the part of workers. President Barr declared that the Public Service Reserve was "substantially held in the grasp of union representatives," and he denounced it as a "surreptitious scheme to unionize all industry."

In an editorial entitled "Where Labor Appears to Advantage," the New York World makes this comment on Barr's outburst.

"Contrasted with the speech of President Gompers, of the American Federation of Labor, the truculent telegram of the National Founders Association, representing many employers, to President Wilson must make even its author ashamed.

"Besides expressing a desire to find some common ground on which welldisposed capital and labor might be able to adjust their differences during the war, Mr. Gompers suggested as a means to that end recognition of the fact by organizations of employers as well as by labor unions that

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MORAL COURAGE NEEDED. One of the conspicuous qualities necessary to successful work in the sphere of labor organization is that of moral courage. It is the distinguishing mark of real manhood or womanhood. Without it no human being is really free, without it no individual commands respect. The disappointments incident to human effort, the heart aches and the losses are usually attributable to the lack of this admirable trait on the part of those who fail in their undertaking.

What is it that distinguishes the successful from the unsuccessful? Why is it that- so many working people are content to plod on in their daily routine of poorly rewarded physical effort, while others, with no more real ability, pass on and excel in the struggle for existence, achieving and winning where the larger number seem content to serve and to barely exist? The question may be answered briefly by calling attention to the fact, apparent to all close observers, that relatively few possess the courage of their convictions and are willing to risk failure by putting their convictions to the test.

"He either fears his fate too much, or his deserts are small, who fears to put it to the test and win or lose it all," was written by a poet who understood frail human nature. Organized labor needs development of and exercise of moral courage. Then will it come into its own and not before. Tacoma Labor Advocate.

In Memoriam, Bro. Albert G. Klipp

Local No. 3, I. U. E. C.

St. Louis, Mo., November 27, 1917. WHEREAS, It has pleased the Almighty to remove from our midst Brother Albert G. Klipp, a member of Local No. 3, I. U. of E. C., of St. Louis, Mo., and

WHEREAS, In view of the loss which our organization has sustained, as a just tribute to the memory of the departed, who has always been a loyal member, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That Local No. 3 share in the condolence of the family of the deceased brother; that the charter be draped for a period of sixty days, and these resolutions be spread on the minutes of the Local.

FRED. W. DOYLE, President.
C. E. LOW, Recording Secretary.
LOUIS E. VOLK, Correspondent.

In Memoriam, Bro. Frank Denight

Local No. 5, I. U. E. C.

Philadelphia, December 3, 1917.

WHEREAS, It has pleased the Almighty to call from the shores of time Brother Frank Denight

AND WHEREAS, We desire to respect his memory as a patient sufferer, and one who was a workman that need not be ashamed, a faithful friend, a conscientious counsellor, be it

RESOLVED, That Local No. 5 drapes her altar for a period of thirty days, and extends its condolence to his family and friends, and that a copy of these resolutions be published in the Constructor.

CHAS. P. FISHER, President.

W. B. MACALISTER, Recording Secretary.

In Memoriam, Bro. A. J. McAdam

one of our oldest members.

Local No. 8, I. U. E. C.

San Francisco, Cal., December, 1917. Brother McAdam was born on Prince Edward Island, of Irish-Scotch parentage, 68 years ago, and came to California as a young man during the gold rush, where he received employment on the construction stamp mills for the miners.

His first work at the elevator business was 40 years ago for the Hammon Elevator Company, and shortly after he took with him an apprentice boy to learn the elevator business (Brother Jack Buckley). The apprentice boy has now grown to be a man, but he has never forgotten the lessons taught him by that venerable and staunch union man.

I did think to write a history of his life, but he was so well known to us, his generosity, his character, his everyday life amongst us, his union principles are so indelibly written on our memories that my poor words of expression are not needed.

All I can say of Alex., as we always called him is: Local No. 8 was your friend, and you were a friend of Local No. 8, and those who mourn you the most are those who knew you the best.

ED. MCGEE, President.
ED. POOLE, Secretary.

In Memoriam, Bro. Harry G. Baldwin

Brother Baldwin met with a painful and horrible accident while at work at Goldberg Bowens' store, where he was sent to do some repair work. He directed his release while his heart was pierced, and he knew he was slowly passing to that Great Beyond.

His funeral was as his nature; attended by hundreds of silent mourners from many walks of life, who dropped a leaf as they passed the bier of their friend and comrade.

A quiet and unassuming man like Brother Baldwin is never missed until that grim reaper of death calls, and then we wake to a realization of our loss of a friend ard brother.

ED. MCGEE, President.
ED. POOLE, Secretary.

HOW TO STOP STRIKES. Open, intelligent discussion of any points of difference between employer and employes will banish the strike, many of which in the past year have been by unorganized men. But, of necessity, this means that the workers must be protected in their rights to openly express their grievances. And that can only be through the power to resist repression; the power that can only be gained through organization.

Employes will continue to look with distrust upon any employer who pretends to favor the policy of collective the bargaining and at same time seeks to prevent his employes from effecting an organization, only through which they could adequately express themselves.

A conference between employer and employes, with all the economic power of a complete organization, a thoroughly outlined policy, on the one side, and complete isolation, no means of outlining any policy, no means of organized resistance, on the other side, is a sham and a fraud, and no one knows this any better than those who advocate such one-sided "conferences."

The right to organize must be insisted upon, at all hazards, by the workers, and we hold that those, who for greed or gain, or in the hope of wielding individual power, seek to obstruct the organization of the workers, are digging a pit into which they

themselves may fall; are endangering the stability of the government of this country and engendering strikes that could be avoided by withholding opposition to organization and dealing with the workers collectively.-Oklahoma Federationist.

The main object of all the struggles of organized labor is the establishment of fairness in the dealings of men with each other. Surely this is a movement which deserves the support of every true American whether he is a union man or not.

BUYING GOVERNMENT BONDS A

GOOD INVESTMENT.

As a result of the campaigns to sell liberty bonds recently, a larger percentage of the masses of the people are bondholders now than ever before in the history of our country. A large percentage of those who subscribed for shares are paying for them so much per week or month; the banks advancing the necessary amount to cover such bonds.

Two very good purposes are accomplished by getting the masses of the people to buy bonds; in the first place, it helps in furnishing the needed finance to carry on the war for democracy and the overthrow of autocracy, and again it induces thousands, if not millions, to save some of their income for a rainy day.

Outside of work of getting our people to realize the importance of this

In Memoriam, Bro. Thomas McNally

Local No. 2, I. U. E. C.

Chicago, December 1, 1917. WHEREAS, It has pleased the Almighty to call from our midst Brother Thomas McNally

AND WHEREAS, Brother McNally was a charter member of Local No. 2, ever faithful to the Local and his brother members, and respected by all with whom he worked

AND WHEREAS, We realize the loss we have sustained in the passing to the Great Beyond of Brother McNally; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased in this their hour of sorrow and bereavement; and be it further

RESOLVED, That these resolutions be written in the records of Local No. 2, and that a copy be sent to the International office for insertion in the journal of this union.

WILLIAM TURNER, President.

WILLIAM PEASE, Recording Secretary.

war and actively backing our Government in support of it, there is possibly no service that one might do in behalf of our people more important than to inculcate into them the habit of saving at least a part of their income, and by judicious investment help it to grow larger and be available for periods of industrial stagnation, sickness or of old age

It is a pitiful sight to see men going down into the shadow of the valley of old age without a home, or means of subsistence and too old to hold a job in competition of young men; therefore, all of us should strive to save something each week or month, and there is no means of investing what is saved so safely as that of the liberty loan bonds.

No doubt more of Our members would buy more bonds if they knew just how to proceed. These should make inquiry at the bank they have dealings with, if any, or some other business firm or company, and they will be given information cheerfully.

The government has devised a still more popular and simple plan for selling bonds; these are nicknamed baby bonds, and their face value will be $5.00, and instead of having interest coupons attached, the bonds mature in five years, and the interest is deducted from the purchase price of the bonds; for instance, commencing next month these bonds will sell for $4.12; next January they will cost $4.13, and continue to enhance in value one cent each month thereafter until five years from now they will be worth $5.00.

Carrying out this idea of saving still further, Secretary McAdoo, of the Treasury Department, has provided 25 cent war stamps. As these are bought they are placed on a card, and when 16 stamps have been purchased, these, with 12 or 13 cents, or whatever sum necessary is turned over to any postmaster, and the necessary change to bond is made without cost.

Get busy, buy a bond, join the army of American bondholders, backing the fight for democracy!

PRIVATE LIABILITY

ELIMINATED IN OHIO.

Columbus, Ohio.-The fertile field of private liability insurance in this State has been closed to liability companies by Attorney General McGhee, who rules that the Ohio Workmen's Compensation law has outlawed their business.

This stunning blow marks the end of a long fight by organized labor, first to establish a compensation law, and then to oust the private companies, who were permitted to do business under a ruling by former State Insurance Commissioner Taggart. The Ohio Federation of Labor contested this decision, and carried the question to the State Supreme Court.

Under the Taggart decision employers applied for the privilege of paying compensation direct, and then insured themselves with the private companies. Under the McGhee ruling this is not permissible and these employers will be compelled to pay into the State fund.

WOODROW WILSON ON LABOR.

If there is not a right on the part of the workingman to organize, then there ought not to be a right on the part of capital to organize. It is the organization that makes capital strong, and it is not fair, from the legal point of view or any other point of view, to prevent the rest of the men dealing with capital from getting strength with organization that only organization brings.

I am for the laboring man. Justice must be done him or there can be no justice in this country. We must all be partners in the game of government and no one man must be allowed to play the part of a hog.

The attitude of government toward labor lies at the heart of almost everything that concerns us as a nation. A nation may be said to consist of those who do its daily labor, and America has always boasted that she was the home of free labor, that all were welcome to come to her shores and partake of her unbounded opportunities.

"MISTLETOE”

TURN ABOUT

Smith got married, and the evening of his payday he gave his bride $14 of his $15 salary and kept only a dollar for himself.

But the second payday Smith gave his wife $1 and kept $14 for himself.

"Why, John," she said passionately, "how on earth do you think I can manage for a whole week on a paltry dollar?"

"Darned if I know," he answered in calm tones. "I had a rotten time myself last week. It's your turn now."

ever an

A PRAYER THAT WAS ANSWERED An old darkey who was asked if in his experience prayer was swered, replied: "Well, sah, some pra'rs is ansud an' some isn't-'pends on what yo' asks fo'? Jest arter de wah, w'en it was mighty hardscratchin' fo' de cullud brudren, I 'bsarved da w'enebber I pway de Lo'd to sen' one o' Massa Peyton's fat turkeys fo' de ole man, dere was no notice took o' de partition; but-w'en I pway dat he would sen' de ole man fo' de turkey, de ting was 'tended to befo' sunup nex' mornin' dead sartain."

HIS DISTINGUISHING MARK. One day a big bank received the following message from one of its country correspondents: "Pay $25 to John Smith, who will call today." The cashier's curiosity became suspicious when a cabman assisted into the bank a drunken "fare," who shouted that he was John Smith and wanted some money. Two clerks pushed, pulled and piloted the boisterous individual into a private room away from the sight and hearing of regular depositors. The cashier wired the country bank:

"Man claiming to be John Smith is here. Highly intoxicated. Shall we a wait identification?"

The answer read: "Identification complete. Pay the money."-Success.

PERFECT PROGRAM.

The story has the merit of being true, anyhow: The official pessimist of a small Western city, a gentleman who had wrestled with chronic dyspepsia for years, stood in front of the postoffice as the noon whistles sounded.

"Twelve o'clock, eh?" he said, half to himself and half to an acquaintance.

"Well, I'm going home to dinner. If dinner ain't ready, I'm going to raise hell; and if it is ready I ain't going to eat a bite."

WHY HE WOULDN'T OBEY
ORDERS.

An Irish hod-carrier was carrying mortar to the top of a skyscraper which was being built. One day he went up and couldn't find his way down. The boss missed him and called up to him.

"Pat," he said, "why don't you come down?"

"I don't know the way," replied Pat. "Why, come down the way you went up."

"Faith and I'll not," said Pat; "sure, I came up head first."

COULDN'T WALK OUT.

A gang of Italian laborers were working in a section of Boston where the mud was excessively deep. Suddenly one of the gang cried out:

"Help! help!"

"What's the matter out there?" came a voice from the construction shanty.

"Queek! Bringa da shov! Bringa da peek! Antonio's stuck in da mud!" "How far in?"

"Up to hees knees."
"Oh, let him walk out."

"No! No! He canna no walk! He wronga end up!"

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