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Show 1) LABOR AND FREE TRADE. m i 1 u. AN Mr. Gompers tie American labor .to the chariot of interna- 1yj VJ tional Free Trade? km He tried to do that at Laredo, Texas, international labor con- jy ference. flnA s ther four ""propositions seem reasonable. " i f U? But when Mr. Gompers attempts to crusade for his free trade be- Y ,f lief by declaring that organized labor in America wants a plank in JLRv ,.,. . J-": -Q. . -imiiiinii finii -riiiiiiiiiiiniiriiiifiiii-iiii an m -- the peace agreement to prohibit any or all "political or economic re- M trictions meant simply to benefit some nations and to cripple or em- M barrass others," he goes beyond the bounds of his authority and in- MH fluence. M It is a serious matter for Mr. Gompers to speak for organized H labor on that issue. He has no more right to do that than he would jH have to say that organized labor must vote to a man for a certain ' H political party. H American citizens, union or non-union, want American stand- dH ards of wages and living to be maintained. It is inevitable, that some lH of the abnormal wages now paid in war industries will have to come H down. But it is to the national welfare that the general range of j H wages in non-war industries shall be maintained. ' H The Spokane Spokesman-Review, Progressive, says : "These I H wages can not continue if we throw open the markets of this country j H to the fierce competition that is coming with the laying down of arms. H American manufacturers and products made and produced under H American high standards of wages and iiving can not stand under open competition with manufacturers and products created by the lower standards of Europe and the yet lower standards of China and ( Japan." j 5k ik ;k sk lH |