The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-26
MEN REPRESENTING
 BOTH LABOR AND !. CAPITA LARE READY
At Call of Government They Come to Settle Their
 Basic Diff
 ferences

Washington, February p. At the call of the government, representatives of capital and labor began conferences here today to reach an arrangefent designed to prevent strikes and to assure maximum produc- tion during the war of mate rials necessary to maintain the American armies in France.
 Each side is represented by five men who will choose two more to rep resent the general public. The repre- sentatives of capital were named by |the National Isldustrial Conference board and those of labor by the Amer. |ican Federation of Labor.
 At the first meeting today. the commit tee organized and heard Secretary Will son outline the purposes of the confer ences. The conferees will meet daily hereafter and probably for several weeks
 On the basis of an agreement to be reached, the government will lay down a national labor policy for the duration of the war and will, if necessary, to en- force it, seek legislation giving proper authority. Officials generally, however. brought into an arrangement it's provi- sions will be kept without the necessity of using legal powers.
 BETTER THAN LAWS
 No sort of an agreement. even if 1t were backed by legal authority, can pre- vent entirely labor unrest and some strikes in the opinion of Secretary Wil- son. Local strikes, he said today, would continue whatever might be the attitude of labor leaders.
 A method even better than legislation, Secretary Wilson said. would be to write the terms of the agreement when made into all contracts let by the govern mcnt, making 1t binding on both sides. Secretary Wilson believes that no 61if- fe-ences now existing between employers and employees are so wide that the con- forces cannot settle them On the sub Ject of limiting production, American unions generally. he said. are against limitation of output and the practice ex- ists only locally. The low rate of pro- duction in shipyards the Secretary blamed on the gerat amount of labor dilution. As soon as the newer men be- come more skilled. he said. the rate wl.: increase.
 MAIN PROBLEM One problem expected to be hard to solve IS that of the open or closed shop. Although both sides have agreed in a general way that the existing status shah not be changed, that closed shops are to remain closed and open shops to continue open, there are many practical difficulties in the way. For instance, a plant net engaged in war work may he called on for large number of work men 10 till vacancies in plants producing munitions. If the plant has the close 1 shop it may be hard to fill the places of tie men taken without taking on non !. union men or perhaps. as the war con- I tinues. even women. Some provision. |. is rec ognized, must be made to care f,sr
 a situation of that kind.
 Some officials believe it may be, neces- 1 sary to establish standard wages in jus | tricts to prevent ire various industries l engaged in war work from bidding against each other for men, Employers not engaged in government contracts lean be controlled in this respect by the I Iovarnment's. control over raw materia n ! and transportation.
 l The ccnferees represent some 70.W misunderstanding plants working on gov erumcnt contracts and moro than 2.Jp.- eco union workers.
 Union labor has no representation and Il neither have the railroad brotherhood5. Amy agreement reached will apply to un- I ofgan,xed labor. but not to the railrca1 employees. whose claims are to be deasi sl with separately.
 The most important thing the confer- ll ences can accomplish, Secretary Wiisod said socay. is to change the attitude C;
 toth caidtal and labor toward the right of the public.
 "Cal ital." he said. feels that 1t hal the -ight to hire and discharge men as 1t rleases and labor has felt that 1t ha, an equal light to cease work with q, withort cause. Boh in the exercise ol Ithese rights have disturbed society. be
 caMse society Is dependent on produs ltion.
 such fixed opinions on both sides ars ' apt 70 cause clashes. as are actual dif
 fcrences hnving to do with tanefbll