The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-12-10
Destructive OF POWER.


gate to Any Outside Authority Con-
troi of the Conditions of Work or
Waoss-Workers Must Manage Their
Own Affairs.
A recent tendency that has gained
considerable headway Is government
BY commission. The purpose which
was TO be secured was efficiency. Sew
eral states have enacted legisla ton
providtng for Industrial commissions
and have delegated to them consider
able power of administration and leg
islatton.
The extent and the nature of the
power that has been delegated to these
agencies are greater and wider than
the people generally realize. They are
authorized to establish hours Of work,
conditions Of work and minimum
wages. The field In which they have
rendered the most effective service Is
In providing for safety and sanitation.
However attention has been repeat
edly called to the fact that wide au-
thority has been intrusted to these
commissions, which usually consist of
appointed persons who are not direct
ly responsible In any way to the citi-
zens Of the state or community. The
dangers hidden in this policy of dele
eating such wide powers to industrial
commissions have not been generally
realized. principally because these
agents have not ventured to exercise
the authority which they have.
The power of regulation is suscepti-
BILE of wide discretion. Interpretation
and application. This has recently
been illustrated by an action of the
Colorado industrial commission This
commission forbade the BARRIERS union
OF Pueblo from removing union card
from shop the proprietor of which
had violated the rules governing prices
for certain work. Although the un-
lon won In this dispute, the incident
plainly demonstrates how such com
mission can and does interfere in af-
fairs wholly without its Jurisdiction
The law which created this commits
sion prescribed It's full powers as fol
bows: To enforce laws relating to child
labor, factory inspection, employment
Of women wage earners and to protect
the life, health and safety of employ
ees in employment and places Of EN-
ployments. The commission was au-
tborized to prescribe safety devices
and to establish standards OF safety,
to license and supervise private EN-
ployment agencies; collect, collate and
publish statistical and other informa-
ton relating TO the work under its
Jurisdiction and to administer and en-
force compensation laws of the state.
Though the jurisdiction of the com
mission was clearly defined, limited
and easily ascertained, that newly
made body has usurped the authority
to interfere with the rules which the
BARRIERS union had established to reg
ulate relations with their employers
This incident indicates tendency that
In regarded by those who are watch
ing the situation carefully as extreme
iy significant. In this instance it was
an invasion of the lawful rights of the
BARRIERS union. Who knows but that
these invasions may not be extended
to other workers and to other organ
izstions?
II the industrial commission OF the
state of Colorado or any other state
interpreted It's functions as authority
to interfere in the regulations which
the voluntary organizations of labor
shall determine for themselves It Is
plainly evident that organized labor
must prepare to protect itself against
such invasion OF it's rights and power
such regulating power exercised by
any political agency would create the
same sort of trade union that exists
under the wages boards or compulsory
arbitration laws-that is to say, this
new system would break the power OF
the organization, would destroy the
voluntary spirit and would sap ths
militant spirit and the resourcsfulnesi
and independence that have made the
trade union organizations Of Americs
the most powerful and most effective
organizations that are to be found any
WHARF.
The wage earRers cannot afford h
delegate to any outside authority po
litical control for the determination o.
> their condition Of work or hours o
work or wages. To do 30 is TO detrac
from their prestige, to destroy thei
power and to render them ineffective
Repeatedly the warning has been Civ
en- that these numerous attempts Il
regulate industrial conditions and evil
BY law are insidious dangers to tn,
best interests and welfare of the wag,
oarnsrs.
Numerous illustrations of this hav'
occurred during the past year. One O
the most notable was the attempt t.
enact for the state of California a Law
which prevented the voluntary trad
unaons from establishing regulation
fer apprentices. The trade upionist
must guard with particular car
against all such attempts at Legislative
invasion of the jurisdiction that the.
control through their economic organ
nations Their safety and their wei
fare depend on their maintaining thei
economic power and economic organ
isation wholly under their own control
american rederationist.