Arizona republican., 1919-10-16
PUT
 OFF ACTION IN
 LABOR SCHEME
Labor Delegates Intimate Disruption of Conference If Members Fail to Ac- cept Their Views of Col lective Bargaining" = Problem Is Big One
Republican A. p. Leased WireI

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15.-Desplte repeated decarlations by employers delegates that they never would ap- prove intervention in the steel strike and insistent demand from the same group that labor arbitration proposal be disposed of definitely, the national industrial conference. voting as an as- sembly, today deferred action on the labor plan pending an effort by the central committee of 15 to agree on the question of collective bargaining.
 The motion to defer, made by Der nard M Baruch, chairman of the pub lie delegation, was defeated under the group voting plan, the employers group voting against it, and the public and labor group supporting postone- ment.
 Labor Group Votes Solid
 Consent of all three groups is re- quired under the rules to validate ac- tion. On a point of order, however. Secretary Lane, presiding officer. ruled that the motion involved question of procedure and not of policy, and there fore should be settled by simple ma jority vote of individual delegates.
 Judge Ebert H. Gary, chairman of the United States Steel corporation board and Ward M. Bargess of Omaha were the only members of the public group opposing postponement, and c. s. Barrett and T. c. Atkeson, farmers representatives, alone of the employ ers' group favored the motion. The labor group was solid for postpone ment.
 The central committee was directed to have a report ready when the con- <z a% Ni0 fn- morrow afternoon, but it struck snag late today in attempting to define "col- | lective bargaining" and made but little headway during it's three-houI session. The right of employees to or ganize was generally recognized, il was said, but no agreement could be reached on the question of dealing with non employees of a company acting as spokesmen for the workers. The com mittee will meet again tomorrow morn ing, but it appeared practically certain tonight that no agreement would be reached and that the labor and public delegates in the committee would ask for more time. Such action would mean further delay in obtaining a vote on the steel strike arbitration res olution.
 Seek "coIIective Bargaining"
 Labor delegates said today they would be willing to drop the steel strike resolution in case they can ob- tain a clean cut acceptance to the principle of collective bargaining, with the right of employees to select representatives just as the compan- ies hire counsel" Failure of the con ference to arbitrate the strike or to accept their view of collective bar gaining would mean disruption of the conference, some labor representatives went so far as to say.
 On the right" of the hall, employ CTS objected to consideration under pressure of such g. fundamental prin- ci, le as collective bargaining. Herbert F. Perkins, of Chicago, said:
 We can not be forced or hurried ] into arriving at any decision in such an important matter as collective bar gaining while J. W. O'Leary of Chi cago, declared that "clear thinking
 On the issue was impossible with "other disturbing influences.
 Is Leverage Measure
 After the meeting, employers dele
 gates said that the labor steel strike arbitration resolution was never in
 tended for other purposes than to force recognition of the unions and their spokesman, inasmuch as agree
 ment to arbitration of the strike by g committee containing union officials and company officers would have amounted to absolute acceptance oi
 the things for which labor is fighting Charles Edward Russell of New : York, spokesman for the central com,
 mittee told press representatives after the committee meeting that both capi- : tai and labor were disposed to make concessions and that nothing hac 2 transpired to shake his conviction 3 that the conference would accomplish great and constructive results" H.
 admitted, however, that serious differ l ences of opinion exists which must b' harmonized before the committee