Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-22
little CONFIDENCE
IN INDUSTRIAL BODY
Wilson's Hand-Picked, Tried
and True Conferees Make
Washington Laugh
HOOVER ONLY REAL FIGURE
BY CLINTON w. GILBERT
STAR Correspondent Of the Evening Public
Ledger

CtaH NOTEtsDonHenl OF tue Evening iuuit
ledger
Washington. Nov. 22.-putting the
question of wages upon different
footing that fine ideal of IA few weeks
ago. has fallen into the hands Of new
industrial conference At it's members
Washington incIines to laugh "A lot
of old lobbygows for the udministra-
tion," labor man characterized Mr.
Wilson's new appointees.
And it is certainly true that ortho-
doXy appears to have been the main
test in their selection. Mr.. Gregory.
the tor'ier attorney general. and surely
true believer; Mr.. Wickersham. Mr..
gregory s predecessor. who gained favor
apparently by supporting the league OF
nations covenant with mild rescrva-
tions; Mr.. Oscar Straus. who is on al
most all commissions and who is on.
tltiec to certain gratitude for his
activities along with Doctor Lowell
and DR.. Talcott Williams N irving to
bring about the compromise between
Mr.. Lodges followers and Mr.. Hitch
cocks that could not be effected Mr..
Richard Hooker, whose editorials. al
ways pro Wilson, in the Springfield
Republican. the President alwavS nd
chusetts, who has one sentiment i'm com
mon with Mr.. Wilson, dislike of Sen
ator Lodge; and SO on through the list
with one exception, that of Mr.. Hoover
the one outstanding figure in the on
tire group who will command unoues
tioning public confidence.
Mr.. Wilson Out of Luck
A conference all made up Of Hoovers
might reach a conclusion which. bv
sheer moral weight, would be binding
upon the country-pcrhaps. For there
is grave doubt whether ANYTHING or any
one could stop a down hill movement
so fast as that of the domestic policy
of Mr.. Wilson. Fate seems to have
turned her face against the mar. OF des-
tiny, and Mr.. Wilson. after his re.
treat from Moscow. is having no more
luck than Napoleon did aftrr his re-
treat from tho same capita
Mr.. Wilson has not only failed to
put the wages question upon differ
ent footing but he has failed to pre-
serve ordinarily decent relations be-
tween capital and labor. And then. hav-
ing chosen new line to protect the
public against revolution. he has failed
to protect the public. The coal strike
and its grave industrial consequences
are upon the country, while trouble
with the railway employees awaits just
In front, and the President has failed
in a program of reducing the cost of
living. Whatever the figures show, the
cost of certain essentials of life has
notably advanced in recent weeks. And
an increase in coal miners wages and
a prospective increase in railway work
ers' wages. together with slowing
down of production due to the coal
shortage, will start new cycle of wage
advances and give Il new upward turn
to the cost of living.
Whole Country Glass Conscious
Mr.. Wilson'S new industrial confer
<ence will meet in this situation. They
rwill meet after one conference, which.
unsatisfactory as it was in personnel.
was stronger than its successOr, bad
failed utterly and after the method of
of industrial conferences has been IN
happily diScredited. And they will meet
when not only labor but the whole
country has been made sharply class
conscious. Their doiugS will be over
shadowed by the Federation of Labor
conference which Mr.. Gompers has
called for early next month
They will have to deal with the ques-
ton of collective bargaining, which
split the last industrial conference. This
question will not split the coming con
ference. The conferees are of the guar
anteed not to- split variety. All the
best non -Splitters in the country will
assemble when they get together. They
Will agree upon something which will
be quite harmless, harmless because in
effective.
For what can give their decision
sanction? Labor and capital have al
ready spoken. Labor will have nothing
short of the recognition of the right
Of collective bargaining. Capital will
not have collective bargaining
The new conference will set up
tribunal, so it is said A tribunal,
made up of men like Mr.. Wilson's war
cabinet members. might have done much,
operating on the theory of reconstruc-
tion after the armistice, to establish an
industrial truce. But a tribunal now?
The administration has tried compulsi0n
in the coal strike. and it has failed.
Moreover, the House of Representatives
has just rejected, by n large vote.
compulsory arbitration plan in the rail-
way bill. The chances for a tribunal
with any power is, therefore, slight.
And the value of tribunal created at
this late date as the last step of an
industrial policy which has been rapidly
going the downward way to ruin is
dubious. Washington expects nothing
of the new industrial conference.