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State Executives and 100 Mayors to Confer at White House. PLAN TO SPEED UP BUSINESS President to Offer All Possible Aid in Restoring Normal Conditions in Nation. HIS EYE ON LABOR UNREST Meeting Is Intended to Decide Upon a General Policy of Reconstruction. WASHINGTON, Feb. 4%.—Invitation to attend a conference at the White House on March 3 and 4, discuss “ vital questions affecting business and labor,”’ was telegraphed by Secretary William B. Wilson tonight to Governors of all the States and to Mayors of more than 100 cities. President Wilson is anxious to estab lish before returning to Europe en na tional policy for the resumption of pri vate enterprises, now that the war is over, as a means of lessening unemploy ment and consequent unrest, and understood to have given much thought to problems presented by the cessation of war work and the demobilization of the military forces. sestehinioel Seca Se Aste ties to bring about a return to normal conditions, the conferénce were made several weeks ago, and tentative requests to State and city officials to ‘attend have’met with a ready response. The following statement regarding the conference was made tonight by the De partment of Labor: “Secretary of Labor William B. Wil son tonight, telegraphed invitations to State Gover and Mayors of some one hundred cities to attend a conference at the White House on March 3 and 4. The President will address the conference. The conference will take up vital ques tions affecting business and labor. It is the desire of the President to establish before he returns to Europe a definite nation-wide policy to stimulate public and private construction and industry in general. A large number of officials have already signified their willingness to attend such a conference. Plans will be presented to show that the Federal Government is anxious to co-operate with the various States and municipalities in all efforts to assure continued prosper ity in the interests of manufacturers, merchants, and wage workers. The American labor delegation now in Paris, headed by Samuel Gompers, President of the American Federation of Labor, sent a cablegram to federation headquarters here today urging that Congress “take such action as will put governmental affairs into construction rather than a passing or questionable position.” The delegation recommended that Government and private building be resumed immediately and that all ships 25 per cent or more completed be fin ished at once, thereby relieving the la bor situation. Our investigation and findings on European countries, ’ the delegation cabled, “show that unrest and un healthy conditions now prevailing among laboring classes are due mainly to after-war conditions; that there is danger to the public weal in some of the efforts that are being put forward by the discontented masses and that to prevent growth of similar conditions in America, Congress must take such ac tion as will put governmental affairs into a constructive rather than a passing or questionable position.’ Among the labor questions demanding attention are: The Seattle shipbuilding strike. The threatened strike of 25,000 men at the Hog Island shipyard unless the de mands of a group of foremen are grant ed on Thursday. The ‘threatened strike of the building trades. In Seattle the workmen, led by the Metal Trades Council, are demanding increases in pay above the wage scales granted by the United States Shipping Board Wage Adjustment Board, other wise known as the Macy Commission. The employers are willing to pay the Macy scale, which is recognized by the Government, and have announced that they will reopen their yards on that ba sis tomorrow morning. About 65,000 men are involved. The Hog Island controversy is based upon the demand by foremen for an increase from about $384 a week to about $70 a week. A conference be tween representatives of the foremen and Director General Piez of the Urgency Fleet Corporation is sched led for Thursday. The billding’ trade situation has reached an acute stage, following con ferences in which even the Secretary of War and the Secretary of Labor further conferences peat peae ogee ae eae that one of the chief on which tent Wiscay cares ly a bringing avout we MANOS ASHEVILLE. bortH CAROLINA, oe found eace in hue Us and eaves ver totgetian—Aavts
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New York Times
New York, New York, US
Wed, Feb 26, 1919
Page 1
Full Page
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Cynthia N.
USA 06 Jun 2026
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