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Show SAWiMPERS He Upholds the Justice of the Eight-Hour Demands of Railroad Men. Lewiston, Me., Sept. 4. In a Labor day address here, Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, praised President Wilson's administration for its achievement in the interest of the labor movement and denounced the decisions of the 1 supreme court in the Danbury hatters and Arizona anti-alien law cases, which he pointed out were participated participa-ted in by Charles E. Hughes, the Republican Re-publican presidential nominee. In lengthy discussion of the threatened threat-ened railroad strike, he defended tho attitude of the brotherhoods ind while he praised President Wilson for his efforts to settle the controversy, he unequallfiedly denounced any attempt at-tempt at legislation to compel arbitration. arbi-tration. "The demand of the railroad brotherhoods is a clear cut issue," said he. "They now make the simple demand de-mand that their physical well being shall be protected and that they shall 1 be required to work only such a reasonable rea-sonable period of time as industrial experience has shown to the expedient. expe-dient. For the eight-hour principle has been universally accepted by society. so-ciety. The eight-hour workman is a better, a more resourceful, a more productive worker than the one who labors long hours. "The railroad brotherhoods have not refused to accept arbitration. They havo declared that the eight-hour work day involves a principle of hu man welfare that cannot be disputed and therefore cannot be arbitrated. They are willing to submit every other issue, all of which are arbitratable to a mutual satisfactory tribunal. "The railroad men presented their demands and made their fight in a simple, direct manner. They have relied re-lied entirely upon their economic organization. or-ganization. They have not sought any special privilege, any legal protection, or endeavored to utilize any governmental govern-mental agency to establish their just demands. They have secured atten. tion and won favor to their cause because be-cause back of their contentions was an organization that represented power pow-er and service. "Compulsory arbitration or so-called investigation is simply a way to restrain re-strain free action on the part of tho wage earners and to make them more dominated by employers. It only makes the striker a criminal and gives authority for jailing workers who quit Work. "Employers appreciate the importance impor-tance of the shorter work day; they know that it means more independent workmen; workmen not so readily held in submission. It is necessary for the protection and the best interests inter-ests of the workers to whom the law will lmplify as well as to all workers of the state, that every man shall do his best; that every woman in Maine shall aid to secure the approval of this act." nn |
