New-York tribune., 1918-09-25
Employers and Federal Of
fcials Seek Way to En-
force Agreements
Million Workers Nav
Get Increased Paw
Conference To-day at Capt.
tai Will Present Method
of Stabilizing Conditions

WASHINGTON. Sept. 24.-The gov
ernmcnt is about to adopt measures to
enforce stability OF wages during the
war. Plans under discussion between
representatives OF manufacturers and
labor and officials of the War and
Navy departments charged with letting
enormous contracts, it was learned to-
day, provide for nationwide system
OF community or industry agreements
in which both employees and employers
will participate and which will be en-
forced for the agreement period
through government priorities power
or labor employment pressure.
This plan has received tentative APP
proval Of representatives of manu-
facturcrs and labor interests and will
delegation from the national indus
trial conference board.
Coordination Is Planned
In this connection, it became known
to-day, a number Of government agen-
cies dealing with labor problems-the
War and Navy departments, the Ship
ping Board, the Railroad Administra-
ton, the Labor Department, the Labor
Adjustment Board, the War Labor Pol
ices Board and others-probably Will
be coordinated shortly under a new
committee of representatives from
each. One of the principal reasons for
this action, which may be taken by
executive order of President Wilson, is
to facilitate the enforcement of the
governments wage stabilizing policy.
A conference of different agencies was
held to-day to discuss methods of elm
mating duplication of effort.
Rapidly rising labor costs. stimulated
by competition among industries for
employees and by the governments
prime necessity for production, have
forced the War and Navy departments
20 take the lead in promoting stabl-
lzng measures. officials explained to-
day. In doing this. they hope to guar
antee to employees interests fair wages,
IN many cases higher than they now
receive, but always uniform for an in
dustriat district or for an employment
S'Oop, anu StdUle lOI tRe peTlOQ OIL the
agreement. These agreements, lasting
probably for siX months, will be con-
cluded between the government repre-
sentatives and labor and Simultaneous
iy between government representatives
and manufacturers.
TO Have Standard Scale
For their part manufacturers will be
called on to pay no more and no less
than the standard scale, and workmen
VIII be asked to abide by the scale.
without threats of strike or other labor
disturbance If manufacturers refuse
TO pay the standard wages CT pay more,
and thereby unsettla the community
conditions. they might find their sup
plies of fuel and materials cut off
through priorities orders. If labor or
carnations violate the agreement their
members would be barred from seek
ing work through employment agencies,
all of which now are government con-
troled.
This plan. as outlined to-day by Off
Gals of the War and Navy departments,
would be subject to many variations,
but the governments power to insist
on minimum of labor agitation in the
interest Of war production would re-
main.
The proposed plan is an amplifica-
ton Of that adopted recently by the
Var and Navy departments in settling
threatened strikes of machinsts in
New York, Buffalo and Rochester.