of problems that your profession deals
with as its daily toil. You have an obligation to continue the fine
service you have initiated and to give it your united skill.

APPENDIX III

ADDRESS OF MR. HOOVER BEFORE THE BOSTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (MARCH 24,
1920)

As you are aware, a report has recently been issued by the Industrial
Conference, of which I have been a member together with Governor McCall
and Mr. Hooker of your State. The conference embraced among its members
representatives from all shades of life including as great a trade
unionist as Secretary Wilson. I propose to discuss a part of the problem
considered by that commission. There is no more difficult or more urgent
question confronting us than constructive solution of the employment
relationship. It is not sufficient to dismiss the subject with generous
and theoretic phrases, "justice to capital and labor," "the golden
rule," "the paramount interest of the people," or a score of others, for
there underlies this question the whole problem of the successful
development of our democracy.

During last year there was a great deal of industrial unrest throughout
the entire world. This has somewhat moderated during the last few
months, but the underlying causes are only slumbering. Because the
country is not today involved in any great industrial conflicts, we
should not congratulate ourselves that the problem of industrial
relations has been solved. Furthermore, the time for proper
consideration of great problems does not lie in the midst of great
public conflict but in sober consideration during times of tranquillity.
There is little to be gained by discussion of the causes of industrial
unrest. Every observer is aware of the category of disturbing factors
and every one will place a different emphasis on the different factors
involved.

There is, however, one outstanding matter that differentiates our
present occasion from those that have gone before. It cannot be denied
that unrest in our industrial community is characterized more than ever
before by the purposes and desires that go beyond the demand for higher
wages and shorter hours. The aspirations inherent in this form of
restlessness are to a great extent psychological and intangible. They
are not, for this reason, any less significant. There is perhaps in some
local cases an infection of European patent medicines, and the desire
to use labor for political purposes. Aside from this, however