The Colorado statesman., 1918-08-31
ALL STRIKES HURT
MACHINERY OF WAR
THEREFORE, THE ARBITRATION
OF LABOR DISPUTES is PRAc-
TIcALLY ENFORCED NOW.
COMPULSlON REALLY MORAL
Senate Must Soon Pass on an out-and-
Out Prohibition Proposition--Nelson
Thinks Soldiers Shouldn't Be Cod
died Too Much.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

u BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
Washington of labor
disputes is practically enforced now
not quite compulsory arbitration 10
which labor has made considerable OBJ
lection. but it practically amounts to
that. Nearly all of the labor OF the
present day is tied up with the war
in one way or another. There can be
no strike of any proportions which
does not affect the war work being
carried on by the government. Con-
sequently II has become necessary TOT
the government to take up and settle
/ labor disputes.
After these labor disputes are arbi-
trated by the commission when was
named by the president. there Is no ie-
gal power 10 compel men TO accept
the decisions. Employers must nc-
cept them, because most of the en-
ployers are engaged in doing work nee
essary to carry on the war But there
is great moral "compulsion" which
is sufficient to make the labor men
accept Just and equitable conclusions
of the authorities. Public opinion in
I this country would not justify strike
which would Interfere with the maxi
ing of materials necessary to carry
on the war.
Within n few weeks now the sem
ate of the United States will be up
against prohibition proposition. pure
and simple The amendment which
has been held in order by vote of the
senate and will be attached to the ag-
ricultural survey bill, is destined TO
make the nation bone-dry the last OF
next January. unless ~omething hap
pens. First, the bill can be talked to
death, as there is no agreement TO
vote on it; second. il might be vetoed
by the president on the ground that
prohibition at this time would serious
Iy interfere with the revenues of the
government. The men who are re-
sponsible for legislating TO raise rev.
enue are very much disturbed over the
losses which will be entailed when
prohibition becomes effective. Look
ing ahead as far as 1920. when the pro-
hibition constitutional amendment is
likely to go into effect, these revenue
raisers say that the continuance Of the
war beyond that time will make IL
extremely difficult for them to find
methods of taxation to raise enough
money to carry on the government. In
view of this state of affairs, the sena-
tors who are now in Washington have
been looking forward to the coming
prohibition contest with a great deal
Of interest.
One day when the senate was dis
cussing mail facilities and the neces-
sity of soldiers receiving mall more
regularly than they have been since
they went abroad, Senator Nelson of
Minnesota took occasion to utter
number of pointed remarks. The tenor
of his speech was to the effect that
we ought not TO try to coddle the SOL
dlers tQQ much. While it is a good
thing for the soldiers to get mail, IT
is not to be expected that they would
have letter from mother with their
morning coffee each day. "I remem-
ber when ] was in the army" said the
Minnesota senator. that we didn't
have very much for the chnplaIns to
do when we were In the field and so
we turned the chaplains into postnas-
ters and they distributed the mail
and became very useful 1t is a good
thing for the soldiers to get mail, but
the other business of carrying on the
war must not be hampered in order
to carry packages containing sweet
meats and knick-knacks TO the soldiers
In France"