The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-08-02
WALSH KNOWS
LAB0R'S NEEDS;
WORKS FOR THEM

The New York Call, Socialist daily,
in it's issue of Sunday, July Il, pro-
nounced the following eloquent en-
comium upon the Hon. Frank P.
Walsh:
Socialists may not agree with
Walsh's conception as to how the
struggle between labor and capital is
to be settled; may believe that only
the adjustment of the capitalist sys-
tenn can bring industrial freedom to
the toilers. This does not prevent US,
however, from honoring the man who
has fearlessly indicted capitalist mis-
rule and who is sincerely doing his
part in helping to improve the con-
ditions of the workers throughout the
nation. We are, therefore, glad of
the privilege of printing this pen pic
ture of Frank Walsh, man who has
been strong enough to wrench him
self loose from capitalist environment
and who sees the justice of the cause
of the toilers with the seeing eye"
that is so rare among statesmen of
this day and generation
The average man is of the opoinion
that philosophy is needed in every
action in life.
"Set your mark and shoot at it,"
was the medieval way of looking at
it; medieval, of course, not in the
passage of time, but measured by the
quick succession of events these days.
But it seems that not all men tread
worn paths.
Frank P. Walsh, joint chairman
with William Howard Taft of the
national war labor board, is a con-
spicuous example of man who got
away from what may be termed a
Spencerian conception of life. His
copy-book had, among other aphor-
isms, the target idea. But Walsh
disregarded it.
ScOrns Limitations.
PHILOSOPHERS impose limitations, "
he said in explaining his views of
the matter. "They also have habit
of getting under your feet. Those
who have PHILOSOPHERS invariably
waste effort in being consistent. No
man, considering the film of life as it
flickers by, can be both consistent
and truthful. Events shape and re-
shape themselves so fast and re-
actions gained from them are so
changeful and even inconsistent with
each other, that the man with phil
osophy would carry mental bruises
all the time"
Walsh was sitting back in chair
in the office of the national war labor
board in Washington. He threw
aside the ancient view of life as he
saw it, casually, even carelessly.
Labor Needs No Lawyers.
Conceptions on economics are
purely mental and the point of view
governs entirely" he continued. "New
knowledge gives new thoughts. Any
one who has studied economies must
advance. Labor presents its cases to
the board without attorneys, as a
rule, because they know more of
what they are talking about than
could be instilled into the average
attorney in years. The employers
are represented by counsel usually
because they have handled the funda-
mentals of wages and working con-
ditions through stewardships for
years"
Board Is Shirt Sleeve Court.
Walsh voiced the foregoing view in
describing the workings of the ma
tional war labor board. He is in his
natural element with the board. 1t is
a Shirt sleevep court of the first
magnitude. None of its sessions have
shown formality of any kind. Four
years ago Walsh came into national
prominence as chairman of the
United States commission on indus
trial relations. 1t was his first
shirt sleeve" court. Its course