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(R-12A -r rr— https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Rci-f.sliJ 1 Ezr:isri LA3crits i-ISSAGL: TO A111111CAN LABLR. Upon lea, trig inApril of the "Iresent year thct commissions from the British and Frendh governments were cominc to the United States for conference mith this government, Samuel Gorr)ers, chairman of tho Comrittee on, Labor of the Advisory Commission, Council of National Defense, cabled niers iloyd George and Abot recuesting that labor representatives be sent to A few days later similar re- the United States as yart of such °omissions. quests were made of the president of Cuba andpremier of Canada. In accordance with. LT. Gemerst request the British Government sent to this country four representatives of labor, Pollows: Right Eon. U. W. Bowerman, privy councilor :aid member of British House of Commons, secretary of Brsh Trades Union Concress parliamentary coliraittee. Bon. James U. Thomas, member of Parliament, ceneral secretary Union of Railwaymen, Great Britain and Ireland. Jose.sh Davies, namber of the secretariat the lrime minister. Garred, re?resenting labor, department of ministry of munons. The Gover.ment of Canada sent tse rerresentatives of laor to confer with the committee in conjunction with the Brsh deleyates. These Gentle- men were: G. D. Robertson, vice president National Association of Railway Telebraphers. oresident Trades and Labor Council of Canada. The Brsh delecates arrived in 'Llshincton 1,:ay 5 and were joined a few days later by the Canadian representatives. During their stay in Washincton they mere in frequent conferencee with representative trade-unsts and other persons especially interested in labor war problems. They imparted information of of the t;reatest value relative to the Brsh experience in the treatment arisen problems 4f industrial mobilization and employment of labor which h4--ve https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis during the present um*. Following the Washington conference the four British delee.Aes addressed meetings in Pittsburgh, Chicago, Cleveland, Albany, chenectady, Boston, and New York. The occasion of largest significance and Dublic interest darinG the visit of these labor representatives was the general neetinc of the Committee of Labor held on May 15 in °;ashinuton. As described by chairman Gomers in his Introductory remarks, the Comittee on Labor had been divided into eight principal committees and several diviaioral committees, each dealing with an important branch of the subject for which the main committee as created-- namely, the conservation and the welfare of workers—and each composed of men and women who not only had riven evideace of their desire to serve durinc the war but had been williar to servo in earlier years. Ameeting of all these jersons was called for Lay 15 for the express riur?ose of hearinc from the visitdelek;ates and of eliciting, by open discussion and questioning, detailed information as to the industrial nroblems Great Britain has been called upon to face by reason of the veer and the methods that have been employed for their adjustment. There was an attendance at this meetinc of about 200 members and guests, notably representative of all rhases of American industrial and civic life. 1/ The addresses and discussion wore of Great practical value, both from industrial and from patriotic standpoints. In the afternoon the committee and its Guests mere received by President Wilson, who expressed his parsonal Interest in the work of the committee, his desire to cooperate in furtherance of its objects, and his sy0pathy with its declared purpose of maintaining established und legislative standards of labor conditions. .The proceedings of ZCy 115, with the addresses of the visiting delegates and the ensuing discussion, have been printed as a Senate document are .21d - briefly summxized in the pages following. of the !.resent Review. 1 A list of the LArsons Twocert appears en British labor's war message to Sen. Doc. Lb. 84, 65th Cone., let Sees. Addresses and discussions at a meeting of the American labor. Committee on Labor of the Council of National Defense held in Wa6hington, Gover:ment Printing Washington, D. C., on ray 15, 1917.Office, 1917. 1W pp. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis THE COOITAATION OF ORGANIZED LABOR. rts. james Mamas. 2be mere Aaking of soeoches is a detail; the nere support of a goverellent by a public declaration is valueless to that government unless it oarries with it 80j0 practical sacrifice and a recommendation that you are .i.xce,./arod to do sonething to bac1 . your opinion. Therefore the British trado-union =Lovament having first decided to su'roort the war immediately applied itself to the ways and means by which it could best do it, and the first thing it did was to declare there should exist during the period of the war an industrial truce. That is to say, that with the ear raging as it was, It would be madness and folly to have side by side with that war an industrial tar in our ()tn country, and we entered into an agreement with the employers thereby they, on the one hand, agreed that they would not interfere with or reduce the conditions prevalent at the time, in return for which we, on the other hand, agreed that no would not attempt to set up any new standard of conditions, and that truce was practically agreed to by the whole of the organized workers of Great Britain. 40 immedi-tely used our :nachinery and our power and our influence to draw nubile attention and the Government's attention :Or the control of these things. We asked the Government to see tat whilst non tere called upon to give their life, it was not too ..ruch to expect other people to give up some of the luxuries that they were enjoying. Therefore, I am giving this illuatra- tion to sham tirt consistent with our desire to make sacrifices ourself we naturally and jealously safeguarded the interest of our awn people as well as the colmunity by insistin[.. that the sacrifice should not be a one-sided one, but should be made by all classos of the people. • • • • The most important point, so far as the worEers are concerned, eas the giving up of what was called the power to strike. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Two things were discovered: Firut, that employers were offering men more money to cone to them on certain 'egetttk: on Governmnt vor1.7, that iu to eay, tz, employer jobs than the . - ;naitImea boilerker or r m-chtnist would say, "I will give you 5 shillings per ueek more to come to me than you are getting on that )rk4" Although the Aan there :itazT be ne.ldnt, 7:zas, this other mn was doing prtvatc worh, 4.7.nd you flan (Inite c6nee1ve -yr-; thin 1)olicynrac dicastrous for tires° aen to be taken from essential woe: and -out on nonessential work so far as the war 'was concerned. The Government therefore introauced„ by 1,47oement with the trades unions, the fxanitione, act, co6. that act fArevented a in leavinc Lis employuent to go to another employer, but it ,lso did this, that if the employer in the 6.istriet was not paying the trades-unions' standard--rrhatever it vas--that in riould not lie 'efused a leaving certificate, with a result thz.-1.t by the act It ultowtically brouaht up bad employers abselutely to the same level, because it assured the district rate applying to all. On the other hand, it took the never to strike way from the ten, bat it cave this advantage, that while it took the never to strike away it did set up raachinery for the creation of the f.rattration courts whereby men's grievanoos were arflminei. va-• es W. Bowerman. Labor in our country ha3, from the beginning of the war, been taken Into the confidence of the Government, the Government seeking its eoe:c.)en;.tion on every conceivable occasion, and that has been one of the greatest factors in making natters proceed smoothly. We have had differences of opinion in our country, as you no doubt will have differences of opinion here, regarding certain issues involved in the war, but in justice to our side of the bearing point, as you call it, there :was been no doubt as to the position of organized Labor there. Prom the very moment when those uafortunato refugees from Belgium landed on our shores, our fellow companions in trade-union movement were animated by one spirit alone, to come to the https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis rescue rind the defense of those hell-iless men, yomen, and children, nnd endeavor by their oc;e4Gth to rastore them to th.ir country at the e'rliest •••• possiole moment. • • • • of Liter the munitions/war act was paosed the Government decided to sot up at rna clied anatioa:: Ldvisori r con-Attoo on war output. consisted of aevuu It only ea.,:-.11 labor rolrenertWves--not a joint wynittoe of employers and morkmen, but =omen alone* The duty of that committee was Great Britain to receive any complc,int that ylicht arise in w_rious narts of with regard to the %;,,,,rryizg out of the nunttions act. sity must arise whom large bodies of ren are at work. ,Ilestions of necesren might be trans- question about the ferred from Loliden to Nelgaastle aad there -airbt bo some emplo7er, then wage, and if it was not settled in a frienay ra7 with the they oval& send it up to London. The wort: became so heavy that at least committees, men something like 70 local coranittees were set up, workmen's 'war, and those comrcyorosentinE, the 4.t4ard trades in coinoct!.ou :.yith the mittees have done elA:ellent mrk• their work a vii becia I ma gave the Governmunt will recomize There ia n gentleman hfire to-day from think, whoa I may that the the mmitions department who will acree with met I carried out and they have york of these callittees in the main has been well g disputes .rising In been helpful in scores aad scores of oases in nreventin caused serious consequence munitions areas which, if they had arisen, may have In so far as delaying the work was concerned. Of course, there 1713 the to the mnitions deright of appeal to the Government, the right of appeal partment, but on the whole those committees have worked well, and that is content another indication of the direction in which the Government has been out of to set up labor bodies in order to help deal with questionr arising the adrdnistration of the particular act of ?arliauent. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis -7- acstion Iv ;,brahum Greenstein. 'fast the process of organizing labor atopped by the me ilazwer by La'. Thomas. ",je are over a million stronger in trade-unionists than wo ware yAlen the uar broke out." an Lneroz,Ale of Aare than y3,000,000. Accumulc.tod Pmmis of the unions show Vheal in enterod industry "we thought it ms not only our Caty to protect them, but that it was tIle duty for them to protect thanzelves, and we ()boned up our ranks. zation We have in my awn organi- Ne.tiolte41 Union of Railwaymen , where our rules a=cludod women, 50,000 at this 2:4,21;ox,t working as oomr9des with the man, Which is the guaranty of prctectinc both of -as." The inorease in membership--1LL,000--of tnis organization is inaependeat of tne more than 100,000 members who enlisted. uestion D. Milessaadro. In regard to increased membership of labor organizgtions, was it compulsory to join Ans-aer by kr. Thodas. It 'evas vtaItntary. DIL1J2I0i4 0? L&BOR. JUJOU H. Thome. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis . nion? -6- iseondly, We felt it as a duty to those -alio had volunteerea that they th.t wolJents labor haki reduced the should not fiad, ;71:104 the-.! C,.44 :, and. it %las a6ree1 that wherever women were employed standard of their ver, (bine, the same rork as men they should be ilai(1 the sane race regardless of one any sex, with the result t:l.s.t there is at this ..ioukeit soinething like ei nho were nevor previously engaged in industrial million and a quArter oftupationv performba all kii,ds of aanual yorh, and doing it as uell, and at the same time the pozItions of the maa are c-Ze,...,arded, the conditions of a"rie woren :.re fair and oquitablo, ud. te4ey 11..ve *LI*. greatest cuasol:-tion of 11-mdav' that they are mae.illE; a za6nificent contrioution to the great war .•. that is now tekinr: ........... 'plen m feu= that there nue Luch imodiately directed it sLertate of munitions, the Government or attention to the previding of munitions. one asked us ftring some of c ,r cenferences here, what vas the real incentive that caused our nen to mko so maily crifis. he answer is a sikdo one, be- cause they had. their "brothers, thoir sons, (_2,d their relatives being mutilated daily. T';$ wore getting letters from tne front, they read of these things, and it brouzhl' it riGht :lone to thua that the,/ ought to do everything they could to help them. The Governmel:t therefore said, "Our difficulty with re- gard to munitians te this, that if every skilled man in the country was to wore: lours per day there would still be a shortage." • 0 6 • • • 0 • • • • The result nus that thn7 called labor into conferences, as they did on every stage of all Troceed The Govorumellt, from the commencement, in every stage called into their conferences orgaeized labor, and they said to them, "e want you to agree to have unskilled men and wumen being tauOt and trained for this work." https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Our trades-unions agreed., but they made this condition, that every privilege that they rzxe Ito was to be treated as war Iwivilege; and by a Government ;!uaranty all these .-irivileclos—z.1i tenor) es.tt vero relaxed thc.t ace.in were to be restored imnediatelg the war was over, with the result of thousaads of there was brought into the rwinfaeture of rmmitions lauldredc various mys and nen 2nd woran :17;reviously undkilled, ana Niko were trained in skilled industry. rave assistance in the manufacture of what was Mtherto cuestion by Lis Gertraae Books. it is the best rethod of educating women? L. ]d fer botb As far as training is concerned. two nethods 1-nve beer Ilploye ochoolo, in all nen and woman: (1) Glasses were Instituted at technical T.larts of the country, which men rsi rero irtec te attorq. sa?ecial nest essential; traininp in the branoh of inauetry in Ifilich their wori: was of =Skilled nen. (2) skilled :aan in :74otories were a_vointe6 to trcin gmaps The first-na lad probably 1.. brow-ht the !Imore ettiyable return. ucctio7.. Ir., Dr. Royal noel:or. On the sitl.ject of el.1.11 pay for oqual -.7,orom Inv° been introftueed werl-, how hcz the difficulty been dealt 7rith elT:a:7e to do part of a job formerly done br a skilled worker? Answer by n7. Thomas. In 1;11 outifie work, in 4t piece rtes. work inwLich wman were engaced, they were ealcaced Scme 3. very imrortcnt and highly 82111:4 viorl' is nerforned by womer after trainin vg...re for women, and that L1unitions deDartnent of Gevernnert fized minimem rinteum oueht to be observed in ovary rmadtions factory employing vit0T-en. t,,,t the L21-14,-.u1 rata In railroad work the acreement ms that ,Amen should begin later-of tbe man and prove their efficiency to the neried--6 or 12 eorths the men's when they became entitled to ay. increase on the craduatee_ basis Of rates. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis -.10. HE there been any attempt to susoend CLuestion by !Armllinn D. Wald. the proteatl.,T1, educational, ar...d lz;bor lroweaffoot.rp childrer., f.tna, if co, what 45 the res.altr,' - „ and some I)eo:?le declared at Attellts were mv.r.,; Ansrer by Mr. Monies. leortunc.tely the onset that all ch.ildron shoultl be -1-.)- ut to V705.*C ))ersons ..uments were soon suspended. never verr, keen on main or chi3.4. protection, so ar, T.)7ere has net be-yr. .:.ny ;71.r.ler;1 tonency torc;1.z.tior.t cs f:zr C43 chilareri. are coricerned; "the' ../ar .;‘,.1.1./61- be lotit to all practical nirnoses if posterity is to Irliert-', are meny local offorts, m1 wi orfmnisation suffer ii thcit of children of 13 arld 14, for all kinds of useful work in the fields on holidays and durine vacations. cliy3stion by 7,!rr. Oharlos B. Fitillnrn. children and 77, 3nr, oni OUt enlist be "short-cut" An.e.rmy by rr. TholInn. . •!! eh')t1 Farrer id college to work on ft/no or to of human ,reed. Ar., Tlo to the fact thrtt t120 :Teat struggle education. 3h.14 not the tendency to take old cotmtry is :7:bac1lli:el..* av:ened the futioro ts to be one of brains and &nDlravald have criod. olt for child labor, etc., but for- t-cartel:7 their flel.r.nd has not been accolot?. to. Ireat has a sol-ool. standard providinc. a labor toot, T7ihich grants exemption to all children 13 years of Age NAL° can pass tl.,e toot. marsTRILL 'gr. James F. Thomas. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis BIL 1212ICY. over Edwin Michael. 7austion by .73r• C. 'hat 7711.4 adopted at onset to de- terrain° bow Imn7 non ahould co to tho front from inaustri, whiell would be / ur,on t: male, 301'73 IcrTllos? thc lovemnent iactustrIns saf-i!nrei at first; Anawer by II.. Tho5iias. liers ana 127,000 --milmy non emlistld, It of poeitiou cxre up, representi rni in' -Pny wromw1.% TIAs el.sed a microfilm to t ev.rnm4leNoal rtndllv that coIries4 also, wen sonli ;laces thic't emorrrted them. lalcr, A. tribunal ms set the C,overAmcI:t, in fw.:11 district, witim Inn* col- ras vwreed that no 7-K.,rc, nnn sh,c,Ald co into the :Iray frora these trAnsfr:-:: 77:'..t7lout a toy ce.lid be slared. 222,00o plomp.ume.......1 In 4« • suy this iAeaas, employer froiPuettiic rid" of a ::AL,a1 :xcevent the uriscrapulous \r1Bnever a man vs released for was cal acreePient that entered the service of the ,-f-t be the last man who se-ot to see that this was done. service it vs .,(i a co .2-aittee 08 troesrloyed are the only moans of shifting Ulor fv.ra place to place and of the Gecrurinm wor%7 Answer by Mr. Thomas. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Absolutely not. They have, however, been used peal WOCK 4asimacq 6okug Eau slou 4e4niosqv https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis °SUMOW, 6.ra 4 agaituy ta:apa poliotawoun Gq4 Jo pu'a sacra O. Qad ta%a; aoclut Sul-44-ms so su...;ow truoOIIairs marailoxo 4ualauTdao 0114 4.71-11 Gila; 41 41 '.10.4elaii ItAod *.ki: 4 uo-Rsau •uaohtptz pon.ssi aaaa 00ZIng suomung ui 44rgezo4ot;swas AZOL pelis.ua awaiU6Ot IZoti4 4 401.4.= 01[4 o4 vow 0aia6ATIspifix4- 404tis 1.119Z att4 II44;20980=11 Utt 04 putx;; ;T pus , ea=ot 0ao;oct fdurcilu4 ug po2t2u0 4ouu eq.oTa4sIp q*sti. u4 'L.O 46s sum Itumrtia4. v CJtt 'OuTI-„Ta aTwcze A6114 6 i8xz put 4..T9Tnt "0;TC= 9aT4usc92d0a 'du cci.ovIt. mos xpT.:;. 01.773 ttowczod ;0 v.:101;4 pci4a7ca o4 opi v pooll'oo sviqz tiGia •poar.Cs pyi.00 ot OSOLTA ma; Aux:: mu. ofy-aT oi Pr6.04s TPutv..4aopuu ui vac 41;114 Gaouou ow spo4sI1:1.0 uou veca2t ova PA/Y; -Too OW= !Vat; 4't; 1A2,.W;k5112 fV,TA4SMVUT czTuoaj.ti 1 oaoTT 000642,1 .= aeactzv 04ZOV C4 110611 DOITUO o. o1 plyitcx tasu ftztir iwqourwao4 •TetIttall: "tit" uTAPR mçj4,tru: oq. '486110 4.1; reqcopt: trail •Tcrtotrzr, v.zaaLatimpr., ixollasng 0(.1 ptuota 107qm $2.:41;suptl. -op tZ T4/34111 " -12- l their services to uork for registerin, the munitions volunteers who offere wherever they were sent. The labor exohaages mere set 11:: years ace under the uremploymmt section of the insurance act. The trade-union movement strengthened and oonsolltook possession of the act, worked it, and has been at the labor exchanges, the dated by it; the union unemployed boas are kept acocAs those books as the members go there to register, and the Government record UXOTLthAch to pay uner:v1o7ed benefits. Mr. C. J. Bowerman. (Alestion by Capt. Walter Y. rriosi. we no British methods of se- out to advantego, and 'Oat loctine people to be adapted to neu tasks marked of laborers? advice uan be eiven us as to the selection Answer by nr. Thovi.e. alr.aot deasures of selection can be taken .A) except for supervisory positions. Ti meld:nor, would be too cum:Jersone. experiment, The matter equalizes itself by morRers who find, after a fair T:ligrating to that they are not adapted to a particular sphere of industry, some other field. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis DOCK BLTTALIONO. Ur. 0. W. Bowerman. footing docks. Let me refer . you to the question 43-.? lapor as af- I will refer you to Liverpool, Southampton, and 30 or 40 docks, some more imertant than others. We found there in the early stages of the war that thera was great difficulty in handling the cargoes, that the boats came in and they had to lie in the river in some cases for days and in some oases for weeks. It became a serious matter to see our ports ooncested and our men vorking like "niggers' and at last it was suggested that battalions of nen should be formed. I used the nord "battalions," because Lord Kitceoner vas responsible for the suggestion. By the way, Lord Kitchener wont down to Liverpool one day, f-x1C, al7oct oao of the first this he did was to cc to the trados-union office. I an not am.re in the history of our country that the 'war secretary of our country, or of any other country, has ever done that. But he went to Jim ,extonis office, and the result of the interview was this, that the dock laborers' Union agreed that a certain number of their members should join the army, not for military purposes but in order to be able DO go 10, 15, or 20 miles away from the particular district Of Liverpool in order to assist in =loading vessels. Va7t1nr non that, every member of that battalion was to be a trade-unionist, ad If he forfeited his trado-union position he would be turned out of the =my. That may be somewh.t a singular thing to you, but that is still the position there. IT, London I think 7Je have something like 10,000 men, dock worl:ers, in military uniforms, and all they are asked to do is this: say, for instance, at a dock 20 milou down the river, if there is excess woZ. there which the locaa men can not handle, then von axe urafted from this battalion and sent down by exArose speed in order to handle the work there. That can be done by the 30 military officers. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis ntaThere acs..in a local committee 711cLs boon set up, consisting of a represe of the tive of the war office, a reproselltative of the Aftlim,Ity, a reilresentai;ive Port of London, and a refrosentative of labor. sulted before either 1 Those four yen have tD be con- an or 10,000 of these nen wan be transferred from London nore acain is labor takinp; its share, and, so itself to ca outlying port. the raeans far as I know, that system has vJorked splendidly L:nd has been re- 1 think notv, lieving the congestion at our various ports, and so much so ths, and, in fact, for the last or 10 months, there has not been the slightest diffieu1t7 in handling any cargo that name alort,c. So, while these men are , Put when there in military uniform, they are not there for military service they are transferred to sone otbpr dock, i .00Ation to the military my, they e they rereceive raccive the orCnary civilian piny, and if they vorl' overtim ceive pay for overtime; if they rork Sunstay they got double ray. pay is They hr..ve the stae rights as the civilians, (Ind so far as the 'men is that concerned and working conditions, and the on'alterrtion of these they rear the uniform. (.10111:1Z2..1.01,iS OF Nt. Jz.mcs H. Thomas. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis -15- nestion by Miss Gertrudo BeeLs. Are ren aud women wotking seven dav, B week, tind, if so, how mx.y horrs'2 Ansryerl by itt. Thmas. been °omen for both sexes. Seveu a-.ys a week, of 12, 13, oend 1,1 hours, have Trades-unions booms alarmed., Government °cm- mittee of :T:nruiry, cmcsod of enclorre, union representatives, zInd Government officials, nme to the ',rovz conC.usicm thtt :othlug, is more disastrous, not only to the _Ilealth of the ran and von but to the svccescfnl proseciztion of the gni., than those abno.2mally lonc hours, both for men and women. Sunday labor is now practically abandoned, and, as far as possible, vonlu labor is betnfl, abandoned. A tremendous ivessure was auolied wien x2iesives, and everyt7f1AN; wern essential at the moment, but that inmediate dilfionity is over. fluestion by Mo. A. F. Berle. In regard to the statnnent by the ministry or munitions that "the principIo of varying the hours according to the Character of the work .nnd the sax and au() of the vIrkers shirald be observed," lelder present conditions ho7 are the hours of work reculated in the various industries and how ts discrimination made amonc them? Further, m4!ht not enployers be justified,in TitT of this tremendous strife, i ci increase In hQurs nt say 10 or 20 per cent per reek over a tampervr7 neriod of six iaonths or a 7nax/ Answer by Vr. Thomas. The object ol the report mentioned is Lot to set a defirite standard but to ski th!...t discrimination must be nsea and the hours reduced according to the conditions under which people work. It has boon found, after two and one-half ycars, that the bLurs of nn and woman raLst be regulated according to the industry, rd this is done; clearly hore n:A..-;t be roro restriction in dancerovm occupations, such as TNT work, than in less dangerm's ones. Ir regard V.s: the terallorta-r odoption of lone hours there are tuo things to be said: (1) If the madhinery could be utilized on two shifts zithout https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis be doubled or perhaps increasing the hetzrs of individuzlis, the output would r or not the ilb,chfnery trebled, bat that must be regulated acecrdinr to 1.Thethe ed as to get a itself couiL stand the strain anC, the factory be so organiz Gontingencj arises continuous rtinnine of che uachinery; (21 wherever such a is for the twc sides to confer, wad face as the o-tie suggested, the easiezt and resuit of the brains sad experience of both sicles, the situation; as a seluaon will be provided Leither iManxious tx take advantace of the other, found. uestion by Col. Isaac M. Ullman eight hovxs ilov rally hott.e a week ir newt by dezre Thomas. Answer by Jr.L Forty-eight—nine .T.:nd one-half for five days and the short day of .-:.:uestio:i by hr. C. L. Baines Did men srad 170Tlen receive extra compensa- tion when rociuired to worh overtime? Ansuor 1.1T. ITI.Lerc.s, The district rate of 'Uzi, ,e..nd. a 11.-0.f r)r duble time, whatever it ht,Qpened to bo, was iuestion by Dr. Albert She. 1d. for all OV37 the standari. '.:5/12at is the ,T=ufacturer to dc who has been ent contracA:, to ocaufv. say 20 per c...ent of his ritrafacturing offered a Governm facilities, :.7.1 contract is on the 8-hour basis and the reminder of his plant would be working on the usitU 10-hour -basis? Answer by Er. Thomas. There aro two ways of z2eetinc, the problem. One ; all the men on an equal is the establishxnt of a universal 8-hour day, puttint has proved beneficial footinc, the i:eneral experience being that eight hem's to the employers as well as to the ernplores. The other is a oonforenco be- saying, "I am not tween employer and trade-union representatives, the former ne that I never desirous of taking advantage of the vrar to broai: down eomethi maintain the law, believed in" and the employees saying, "-Inilst anxious to something during we are not anxious to take advantage of the war to enforce https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis -IT- the war that we could not obtain in pezLee twaies." The difficulty of divert- ing only pl:-rt of a pl-tmt dio. not ar.6e in Great Britain, because there everyone was put on Govient wo.rK, the manufacture of Lc,Aessentials was Iwohalted, z,.n,a, the fetr of corvetitors sucurinK all the basi:less did not enter. L40T14.---At LLit, voillt. Lilo 0.4a/rum. made lwcation or saspensiull O. under the statument mncerning the re- .0,'s-Aeur IzA,w; the greater efficiency of the workers heur day; the fact that contractors are now perferLutc p-rt of their work under eight hears az.ti the remainder under nine; the declared dOVOtion of organized. labor mad its exereosrvod. oPrer oi service; the refusai of certain employers even to receive a cumittee of tiseir own emvioyees, organized or unorganized., -4:=„ed booa4se si* tho Ileco,witj o: meetinG the lireLitint tiam4nds; the aa3tion f we agroamvuts covaring tap or three yec.rs when profits and the cost of living tacreaze illordluately auriAc such perloa. AthIrto-41. uus;:ion bd L. Chas. What has been &me te prevent acei- deA.ts ..41l has ixlsstion "ouon increasel with he intrwluotion of femule or intscoerio,leed help? Allswer Iv' 14r. Momae. More are ti o forms of inspaction--that by rail- way revlations 7.ot t4nd that b.,. home offoe, ias, Lnd iao.ory inspectors. Inspection. supervision have ,..;-0..en Irscr.lasea beetmae o the gr-ater d=wer of less eximriamed 00o,)10 wterinu 4orksbops. ivestion bz/ lir. D. Evel:Ilt Waf.de. uerkers from a standpoint O 111GA meagareo ,11,Nre botn!. taKen for the s3nitat3on and llvotectiou agwinst fumes, gases, and fire, in building factories or convertini, them to uses for which they were not constructed? Auswer by Lr. Bowerman. In the construction of the mulitions f%:.ctories established by the GoveitJat the coLlfort of the vorkers vas practielly the first conmideration. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis These are buildings of a very nodern character, so built that t'lle 7.-ter1th o tbe vorlezie rey be prescrved to the fullost :possible extents Tray follov.:. the Covoramentgs caa-iftple and It is hried. thr.t ::?rivate im-r)rovo ecraitlnr. tile:tr own ...)1r,oes. GO7errrY3:14; lInft hitliSted, 7s far ar, it tary r-rrangelrcvntsou1.3. co-..z..roatod. lontrolled o3ta i.c3it, tit ti r f1ts ix, the sani- It /ID3 bkler. Cr.trl Of ts.f1C. fl,L•f)t Ltrao0:21 : t110.50 vtilo are au.1.1,4 tions on the .1,iurt Of no ullon. to work so strenue.nsly shor..141 beeSvoy, first coidotio.a. LitT9TRIAL DISPIIT.fr vestion by :`,!r. N. I. Stun.of, Tihit Itepo ive boon ta'am v.nd what uoes methods inve "ac:on worked out to adjust waco disputes in the on,se of diffore strikes and between employers and araIlloza)es, clid. to lwep the work goint; without yet satisfy the enologeas in the way of adjustment? s. Answer by 7,!re inort44.,io tr.ohinery of any kind can settle all dispute Strike ittea7V7k is labor's only btirminl.7.itz: be helpless. T4- j, ta,3co It am. should, hf»..rvver, be last rzul not first resort. 7:ould "norcifcre o.lommittoe caned. the we set up arbitration courts, onv)cilltion beards, and https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis cuostion by Mr. P. J. Brady. la the event of dispute between epployer and employec3, if the arbitratio:u board fails to 6ring the tmo -AL'ils together does the Golernment oh the cne 22.7nd say to the workers, "You mot (t.olitiude to work and supply the 1:ccessities," or does it on the other Irma, if the err ployer is not willing tc. come round, taLe over the p15nt kad operatc it until he is villinc to concede L frAr deal to tht werkere: Have the imricrs right to quit 1.1 they di; not like the Corfirnment award? The nac,Inery of the munitions act definitely Answer by L.MOULS. .ilrevents tho employer's striValglbile they tam? anfr.pod on war mrk. its object. "2-e ,;,ctp.ie That was on17 to -oernons encaged In essential wax .,Jork, but the Goverra4uat can by procl...tioIl br'.ng into the scherld3e imaty iadustry, vhatever it Lay be. Uu.o?ose dispute between engineers and employvrs, the :len asking for an advc.nee in 'gages of sir shillings a VetliA to cover the in- What tlin tribunal has to consider is not whether the creased coat of Iivin6. vork men are di; lag it tir7/ares have risen -,711.o nortion. tely to the iLoe h., cost of livine. There h."02=6.1 no cheweE i'r'e condition in Great Britain since the day the mar broke out. won servioe6 There havc been lsece increases of Vat arc based not bnt ulor the, reiluoad si)ending vaine of the sovereign. The committoe is composed of nen of judicial mdnds, inaependent of 5mployero and employoes. That it be conposea of direct representative of labor, a direct reIweserttivo of capit:-21, and an indepolluent oarson iLs arbiter between the two is beinfr urged. that is now the tribunal. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis In mny farms ;-,11 conciliation 4nd urbitmtio:- boards -20- '„iAa Judge LI. S. Ares. We were very conscious in the early days of the war that the workzen in the factories wanted to knew that they were on war work. If a in mls not on. war work, he wanted to get onto it. to tell him? Hew are you going There is a certain temptation of the orvdoyer to strain the point in order to tell him, as he desires to TalOw• • • • • • • • The machinery set up in England grew slowly, and we by no means realized the iroortance of this oroblem. You have the natural competition between the governmental departments, all trying to press forward their work as the most important....Youlso have a natural and a Droner competition between the immediate requirements for war supplies and the requirements of industries. You want to keep your industries alive as far as possible, and some of them are necessary to the country, not only because they maintain your trade, but because they are absolutely essential to the life of the country. If you will pardon a oersanal statement, one of the last thincs said to me before I left England was, "Do net fail to tell them how important class B. work." By that we an the work which keeps the country alive. the work required for the wnging of https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Class A is than I, from another side from which this question has been approached. There has been an attempt to define certain classes of employment which are so important that they are considered indispensable. Take, for instance, the transport workers, the man in the steel torks, I should say the men employed in farming--just the more fact that the man is employed on them is a selfevident fact that he is employed on the most important woe's:. COATROLLIM ESTABL Judge M. S. Amos. 001iTRACTS• I forma when I first arrived in the United States that t'qere was a belief current that the method of making manufacturers particularly do the right thing had been somewhat of a secret. curate. I do not think that is ac- I believe, broadly sneaking, it is correct to say that the Government has proceeded on the double principle of buyinc people's work. and makinG them want to sell. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis That is particularly true, I think, with regard to the -22- manufacturers' Ivint of view. Work is done by contract. Pea.iao are not ordered to take contracts but they have been put in such 2osition that they want it and that has become nor() and more evident as time Goes on. In most industries there is no good of a man thinking he is goinc to be allowed to 2cecra his shon running, or that he is going to get vork unless he is on work:I:a:doh the Goverment wants him one There is an impression in the United States that there are factories in 1,g1.2.na which are under specific control, Where everybody from the mnager do= has to do exactly What be is told by the Governmnt, and there is a man standine in uniform, someWhere„ tellinc him what to do. ••••••••• Lit'. Thomas has already described to you the kind f industrial treaty which Mt. Lloyd-George set 11:0 under the manitioms act, under which capital and labor both made concessions. • https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis ••• • • • • -23- uestion by ar. Collis Lovely. What would be the effect upon contracts based on a low scale of the shifting of surplus labor which carried with it the her scale of the district from which it came? Answer by :r. Thomas. By parliamentary DA:1;ton a fair-wage clause has been adoj,ted which oompels the Government, in issuing a contract, to make it a conon that, whether the emilloyor engage umion or nonunion labor, "the fact of hie having accepted a Government contract comnels him immediately to out into operation the fair=wage clause, which Evans the trade-union rate Lu that districts By that moans it equalizes all employers and prevents tbe "sweating" employer gettint an advantage Pram the Government over the good employer. uestion by Dr. Royal Meeker. By what methods are contract pricos regu- lated as wages advance to neet the cost of living? Answer by Thomae. The usual poriod for wages revision based on the cost of living has now been established at three months, and the contractors tender for the contracts to cover tho three-months' leriod. The 5,000 con- trolled establishments are guaranteed 20 per cent increase on the net return Dar 1913 or 1914, sdth an allouance for depreciation. There are very few mu- ons contraots given out. '3.': 44 by 2:r. John Golden. WhLlt would be the action of tle 31itish Government if a man thok a contract and discovered Later that he could not fill it in the prescribed time unless he lengthened his hours? Ansmr by ..4mas I0erer7 contract .3 3. are penalties provided for its nonfulfillment, bat if the employer were able to giVe a ler:itimato exolanation it uvula bo accepted. Abrogation of ehild-labor laws, such as is advocated by sOme southern cotton manuf:Icturers in the United States .uould n0t be satisfaotory. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis -24- What is the method of payinc the uestion by Ziss Gertrude Beeks. subsistence to dependents of sailors and soldiers? Answer by Thomas. whole With regard to depont.ants, allowances, the of the money is paid through the post office. waiting and takine one's turn. There is 110 difficulty, no er "Our soldiers' wives or mothers, or whoev note, and that is 'aid over they may be, go to the post office with a demand d in a check and they receive the the counter, just the same as if they hnade and with the We have attached considerable importance to that, money for it. greatest modesty in the world we commend it to you." The sefaration 6 pence for the wife ance per week has been increased from 7 shillings and to 12 shillings and 6 pence for the and 2 Shillings and G pence for the child, 4 Shillings for the second, and wife, 5 shillings for the first child, and "wo are still agitating for more." Disablement allowances are now deter- for the loss of a limb has gone mined by a pensions board, and the allowance um of 16 and a morrimum of M. from a maximum of 14 shillings to a minim sion within the category of doFurthermore, there has been secured the inclu if actual dependence can be proven. nendents of parent, brother or sister uestions by Dr. Lee K. Frankel. To vtot e;..tent has Government provi- suLTlemented by .privato aid, such as the sion for the care of dependents been What adminis-)atriotio fund" in Canada? "national fund!" in inland and the " ibution and whit have been the trative unchinery IDS been used for its distr results of such machinery/ Answer by Mr. Thomas. nVoluntary funds are used to su-oplement the Gover extra care, children are sick., rents ment al1owance in cases Oiler° women need are hisher than. averqs;o, etc. are "state money." https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Not looked upon as charity, since the funds of civil liabilities committee helps, to a maximum 2a week, where children otherwise must have been taken out of college, or homes partly paid for must have been givon ur. In !Asking decisions, the comittoo is informed of all details a:xept the idaatity of the Drollosed beneficiary. There are joint committees in every district and town, rerresontinc labor, capital, various institutions, and ...by statutory 4rovision--mumem. many local organizations looking after their OM people. Mere are There is much volun- tary work on the fart of men and won in seed.% that %onion lu onorant of their rights are securing all to which they are entitled. RENT ACT. 1,:r. C. W. Bowerman. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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