The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-02-10
KEEP HANDS OFF
DURING STRIKES
Attitude Of Department Of Labor
Toward Industrial Disputes.
STRIKE BREAKING BARRED

Welfare of Wage Farmers and Ad-
Vancement of Opportunities For En-
, pIoyment Chief Aims of the Govern
msnt--PoIicy Pursued In complets
Accord With the Law on the Matter.
The two subjects which Secretary
Wilson's report for the department of
labor principally emphasizes are medi-
alton in labor controversies and en-
ployment opportunities. Many notable
instances of mediation are described,
| and some remarkable results are re-
ported.
- The attitude of the department of
labor as to sending workers to places
where there are strikes and lockouts is
especially interesting. On this point
Secretary Wilson says:
ITO promulgate in any manner in.
formation concerning worllmen wanted
where strike exists or is threatened
would be inconsistent with the pur-
pose prescribed for the department by
its organic law, which is to foster, pro
mote and develop the welfare Of the
| wage earners of the United States, to
| improve their working conditions and
to advance their opportunities for prof
table employment Not only would it
not advance opportunities for profitable
employment nor otherwise foster the
! welfare Of wage earners to promulgate
| information of demands for help where
! strikes are in progress, but it would
| have the reverse effect. Such a policy
would be equivalent to directing wage
earners to places already sufficiently
! supplied with labor, for wherever there
is a strike or one is imminent that fact
alone is evidence prima facie that there
Is no real scarcity Of labor there. Con-
ditions Of employment are in dispute,
and that is all This involves the ques-
ton Of profitable employment-profit
( able to wage earners. That wage
earners who have experience at the
place and in the employment whence
the demand for more labor comes do
! not look at the offered employment as
profitable is manifest from their re-
| fusal to continue in it at the offered
terms, and that they are qualified for 1t
is evident from the fact that they have
been doing it satisfactorily.
J "The policypursued by the department
! with reference to the labor situation
where strikes exist or are threatened
involves five elements, which may be
generalized as follows: First, workers
who have had experience with the EN-
plOyment in question do not look upon
it as being profitable second as there
| is a sufficient supply of labor already
there the problem is one not of supply
! ing labor where it is scarce, but of
adjusting terms Of employment where
labor is plentiful third, the wage earn
| ers engaged in the dispute are qualified
by virtue of the training and expert
ence they have had to perform the kind
of work required, and this would not
always be the case with persons who
| without previous experience in that
employment might respond to the re-
! ported demand fourth, for the United
! States employment service to convey
information Of employment offered
| where a strike exists or is threatened
would be to place it in the position of
actively assisting one side Of the con-
troversy, whereas If it does not convey
such information its position is wholly
passive; fifth, it is a function Of the
department Of labor to promote indus
trial peace, not industrial disturbance.
1T follows that the department Of
labor should not make itself a medium
for conveying information of demands
for wage earners where labor disputes
are the cause of the demand. That
there is already a sufficient supply Of
labor there is as true if it is unem-
plOyed on account of dispute over
terms as if it were unemployed for
lack of employment opportunities from
other causes. Moreover, the termina-
ton Of such a dispute would result
either in dismissal of the new employ
ees from service they had been led by
the department to apply for, or in leav.
ing unemployed the workers involved
in the dispute. The point that also
should be emphasized is the impro-
priety Of the departments informing
wage earners Of opportunities for en-
ployment at places where their apply
ing would serve one side to the dis
advantage of the other and thereby
operate as disturbing instead of a
peacemaking factor.
state or city agencies may be in a
position so different as to find it neces-
sary to pursue different policy. 1t
depends, of course, upon the local laws
by which they are created or under
which they operate. This policy, how
ever, is the only one the department of
labor of the United States can adopt
consistently with the congressional
legislation that controls the depart
ments administrative activities"
Advocates Seven Hour Day.