El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-10-09
CAPITAL AND
LABOR ARE SHY
Each Waits For Other To
Act In The Con
ference.

N-AA--A4--A A 49, r
tee. lust as the senate and house re-
uuire committee consideration Of all
the numerous resolutions presented
f-o-, 90 10 dqv from hundreds Of
members Of congress- just so has u
become necessary for the Industrial
conference here to have a committee
OF Is, composed Of five members from
each OF the three main groups-cap-
ital. labor and the public
gparEo's idea Overruled.
John SparE0 would have liked TO
arrange the rules 50 that a minority
in each group could bring 10 the d.
rection Of the whole conference any
proposition. but both capital and Ia
Dor vetoed the idea because from ex-
perience these men have found that
much time Is lost that way and that
unless a majority In each group
stands ready 70 back C proposition
there IS little chance that the argu-
ments OF the main conference viii do
anything but occupy time
The purpose Of the conference is 20
get agreement between three groups
and there IS really little time for the
conference itself 70 straighten out dis
sensions Inside the ranks OF any one
group. Presumably the groups viii
act by majority vote and as a unit In
Has No Final Power.
But the committee Of Is wiz not
have final mower. It viii merely
bring to the attention OF the confer
ence, with or without recomme uda-
ton. the proposals that e thinks
There viii be ample opportunity for
decision and an aye or nay vote on
each proposal
The conferees do not want 10 lose
public confidence by Wrangllng in
side their own groups and don't want
20 81 = D.
ed debate. Most Of the couferees are
accustomed 20 conventions and boards
OF directors and executive commit
tees and they are all busy men Their
rules thus far show clearly desire
10 get down 20 brass tacks as quickly
as possible. Overnight they viii
tackle some OF the numerous propos-
ais made for-.the betterment OF the
relations between capital and labor
To Discuss Principles
Internationally all these viii have
to be classified as 20 subject and dis
for instance, the eight hour. day. A
general principle approving the eight
hour daV might be proposed
Possibly IL would be found neces-
sary 70 bring out the way in which
the eight hour day works IN differ
taEes or disadvantages which expert
ence has revealed When the com
mittee agreed upon the language q
the principle involved Il would then
be brought 20 the main body for de-
cision. amendment and vote Thus
every subject from the length OF the
working day 20 the principle Of col
lectiVe bargaining. the responsi 1llity
Of labor for production and the en-
fOrcement OF its contracts would be
taken up successfully until series
Of principles could be agreed upon
To Exercise Moral Force
Collectively they would constitute
Q charter and II accepted unani-
mously would be presented to the
employers and employees OF the coun-
Try for their Individual approval OF
disapprovaL The moral force behind
the present conference. It is expected.
would mean the general acceptance OF
any plan that As agreed upon by the
leaders OF capital and labor who are
drafting It
Labor. it s. said. plans a definite
attitude IL wants 70 hear what cap
ital has 20 offer. Then il viii sug-
gest or comment And capital shows
signs OF the same kind Of thing The
representative OF the public are. IN a
sense. mediat0rs. II neither capital
nor labor wants 70 take the initiative,
the middle group win do So anyway,
before another day or two the com
mittee Of Is VIII have before 60
enough plans from all sources TO be
gin decision on separate ideas Much
Of the benefit OF the conference viii
come out OF the personal contacts be-
tween the conferees
They Arr Getting Together.
70 Is interesting TO see Frank Nor
rison. vice president OF the Ameri-
can Federation OF Labor, sitting down
with Ebert H. Gary. OF the United
states Steel corporation Zoe OF the
unions II S. interesting 20 note the
a HHHH HHn
an aside with Ebert Gary, wherein
the New York radical on hearing
Gary remark that leaders OF the steel
workers did not represent more than
10 percent OF the men. promptly in
CURED whether Judge Gary would
meet the men II they represented a
membership OF 81 percent OF the
workers
II is in these give and take infor-
nal conferences and discussions that
the spirit OF the conference Itself VIII
be created Secretary Lane did a wise
thing in asking the conference, imme-
ulalely a1ter It's wednesday morn
ing session adjourned. II the chairman
Of each OF che three groups would not
see 90 f. Immediately that the per-
sons in their groups met the other
conferees and vice versa.
Chairman Lane plans a luncheon
too. where the intimacy may be con-
tinued. he said he did not want
any great Eulf' to exist between the
three groups just because they were
so designated or sat separately in the
conference room. Thus Tar there has
been rather a hesitation TO come out
in the open. All Of that viii surely
disappear in another day or so and
by means OF small committees and in
dividual conferences a start viii be
made at last toward the formulation
Of a set OF principles that may not
alone govern the relations OF capital
and labor In the United States, but
that may serve as an example for
other countries. Already the fact
that the conference is being held in
the pan-Americ1n union building has
excited the interests OF other repuh-
lies in the western hemisphere.
Unofficial but Powerful.
Today Q japanese representative
arrived 20 observe the proceedings
The biz hall OF the Americas. where
the sessions are held. is crowded with
distingu ished visitors. Rarely has the
national capital witnessed an event
of more intense Interest held under
the auspices OF the government. yet
outside OF 20 altogether. II Is unof-
fetal yet most powerful The eyes
OF millions Of people are on It
Copyright. 1879 The Fl Paso Herald
STREET CAR STRIKES WAGON;
NEW MEXICO FARMER INJURED
As he was driving to FL Paso with