He points out that there were extremists in the period from 1900 to 1920 whose actions gave rise to some of the demands on the part of unions which. in turn. developed into excesses. He says: * It was only as far back as on July 31. 1919. that the Portland Oregonian. a Republican paper. said in an editorial: * "Tne report of the InterChurch World Movement on the steel strike contains a lesson for both the steel corporation and its employees * * * Public opinion does not approve of shifts 11 to 14 hours long. nor of arbitrary power of bosses. nor of absolute denial of the right to organize." Then the article goes on to say: The churchmen had reported. "If the 12hour day is bad for the country. the Government is to blame and as long as It fails to tackle the 12hour day it Imposes upon the tradeunions alone the humane task of moving the steel corporation in the direction of reform. Moreover. the conclusion is inescapable that a real cause of the persistence of the 12hour day and the 7day week is the defenselessness of the unorganized immigrant worker. Again the Government. as much as the steel corporation. is to blame. and again the Government has seen fit to leave the field of reform to the tradeunions." Of course we have gone a long way. Mr.
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