The Washington herald., 1919-10-05
WORKERS WOULD
|FLOUT NO-STRIKE
tAW-GOMpERS
Involuntary Seryitude'
Could Never Be Enforced,
Says Labor Chief.

The organized workers Of the Unit
ed States will not obey q law making
strikes illegal or providing for com
pulsory arbitration, even though It
should be held constitutionalLby the
Supreme Court. ... $780,.
Samuel Gompers. president Of the
American Federation Of Labor. served
notice to this effect on Congress yes
terday. when he appeared before the
House Interstate Commerce Commit
tee to protest against the inclusion Of
such provisions in the pending legisla=
tion for regulation of the railroads af-
ter the termination Of Federal control.
W. N. Doak, vice president Of the
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen.
joined. ip the protest on behalf. of his
organization.
IF Congress should adopt a COM
pulsory arbitration law and forbid
strikes" said Mr.. Gompers. you will
not accomplish the aim that you In
tend. but you will produce law-break-
"ho VIII Oidt to"s CNCh IL
they go to Jail for it"
The labor's heads declaration came
after a heated twenty-minute colloquy
with Representative Webster. Mr..
Gompers displayed a. decided reluc-
tance to make direct answers to ques-
tions which Mr.. Webster said were
designed to ascertain the position of
the witness on constitutional law.
The Washington member asked sew
eral times what the labor chief would
advise the workers to do in the event
that a law prohibiting strikes and
providing for compulsory arbitration
was enacted and upheld by the Su-
preme Court.
Would Not Counsel Obedience.
Il think L shou1d obey such a law.
II I was an individual worker" Mr..
Gompers finally replied. but am
sure the workers would not. and You
would have thousands of lawbreakers
throughout the country"
But would you, as the head of a
great labor organization. counsel
them to obey such a law?" Mr.. Web
ster asked again.
No, sir" admitted the Federation
president. "I would remain silent.
connseling neither obedience nor dis
obedience, but would advise the
American Federation of Labor to ap-
peal to the country"
Gompers added that he could not
conceive OF the courts holding such a
law valid, because II would impose
involuntary servitude. The enact
ment of an anti-strike law, in his
opinion, would amount to putting
handouts on labor, and would be
doomed to failure.
Pressed for an explanation of what
he meant by an appeal to the coun-
try. Mr.. GOmpers said the idea he
had in mind was a campaign to Sc
cure the election OF a Congress that
would reverse the court action by re-
pealing the law. Such legislation. he
declared, breeds radicalism in labor
circles. ..
"Must Keep Strike Right"
Arbitration must be voluntary"
Mr.. Gompers continued. land labor
must always reserve its right to strike.
Even-discussion of such legislation is
likely to bring serious consequences:
You are breeding Bolshevism, that's
what you are doing. You are giving
the L W. w. the means to undermine
the regular. conservative element of
the American Federation of Labor
Already the radicals are referring to
this legislation and saying to the
workers, That's what you get in re-
turn for your loyalty and patriotism
The legislation is Involuntary servi-
tude. and would be a reversion to the
days before the civil war.
1T rs legislation intended to put
handouts on labor and tie them to
their tasks by all the power of the
Federal government. There must be
voluntary arbitration or there shall be
no arbitration at ALL"
On the question of compulsory arbi>
tration and an apti-strike law. Mr..
Doak said mo legislation at an is
necessary. He recommended that the
settlement of disputes between the en-
ployes and the roads be left to the
same methods that obtained before the
government took over the lines
The Brotherhood representative said
a "get-together conference" between
the railroad executives and operatives
fa hoI H. Il.