The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-10-08
UNION ELEMENT,
SEEMS DOOMED
Result Rules Committee Labor
Conference Making Major
ity Action Possible.
FUN MAY START TODAY
(By WILLIAM ALLEN WHITED

l6y WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE.)
copyrighted, Wheeler Syndicate,)
Washington. Oct. determination of
the industrial conference in Washing
toL by the union element appears to
be doomed. The action of the COM
mttee of rules making majority action
possible in spite of minority protest
seems to have signed the death war
rant of trades unions in this gath
ering.
The five labor members of the COM
mittee of fifteen are naturally for the
closed shop. Miss Lillian Wahl and
Charles Edward Russell, of the public
group, are for the closed shops
That makes seven to five of the en-
ployes group favor the open shop,
and Messrs. Endcott, Langdon and
Chadburn, of the public group, are
either against the unions or in favor
of the open shop.
! This leaves the general committee,
I in which all legislation is recon-
mended, seven for the unions and
| closed shops and eight either against
the unions or for the open shop. I'M
de- these circumstances, the best that
the unions may hope for is for the
preferential union shop.
! The union leaders realize that on
the face of the returns they are in q
minority. Nevertheless, they propose
to play the hand clear out. They hope
to winthe farmer or the employers
side ofster Of the bankers among the
public representatives or among the
employers, and they hope to carry the
| hight to the floor of the convention;
swing IA majority from among the
public group SO that this group will
folloS heIp. ...s...s
But ssfttlHs7a Representatives, or the
public are strong. antitrades union men,
appointed by President Wilson, like
Judge Gary. John d. Rockefeller, Jr.,
and DR.. Charles Eliot. Beneath the
surface of things the situation is black
| for trades unionism at this conference.
On the surface things are going smooth
| ~. Yesterday afternoon in a meeting
Judge Gary, of the steel trust John
| Spargo. the socialist; John D. Rookie
| feller. Jr., and Miss Edith Tarbell stood
together in advocating resolution
which was afterwards defeated by the
| conference.
! LINES are now drawn anywhere. Cap
| ital is Alfonsoing to labors CASTOR and
the whole proceedings are as meaching
! and sweet as though they were con-
! Quoted in the tumble 'ome" of Uriah
Zap. The fun may start today. Each
| group will introduce it's panaceas. La
Dor is expected either to wait for the
others or to stand for the Whitley
| councils, which recognize trades unions
and provides for shop councils COM
| posed from the various trades unions r
the plant to which all disputes. all la
Dor grievances are submitted anC
| through which these grievances are sept
| to the owners committee.
These councils also have final juris.
| diction in the hiring and firing of men
! The employers group probably will
| introduce the international Harvester
| plan, which provides for shop unions
! that form grievance committees no
connected with the national trades un,
| ions but have strong executive contro
! of wages, hours and shop conditions.
Profit Sharing.
! In the group representing the public {
| strong plan for ofit-sharing will b'
| grated upon either plan which has {
majority-either labor's plan or CapitaPj
plan. 1t Is more than likely that labor
! il 1t cares to compromise, can get on
| of the situation under the rules of {
| genuinely democratic shop Contro
| profit sharing and the preferential opel
| shop, but no more.
| If the industrial conference is mad'
| permanent thing at the next session
| labor can pack up again and trek fur
! ther. 1t will never go back and 1t car
| well afford to be patient.