The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1919-08-14
The Innocent Public Suffers

The following clipping appear
| Times, sounds the keynote Of the
Times, sounds the key-not OF the
whole situation:
There are three parties interest
ed IN every strike-employer, en-
ploye and the public-and the
most important of these IS the
public. 1t represents the great
est number and the most varied
Interests. The Seattle strike which
the good citizens, with the help OF
a mayor true to his oath OF Office,
blocked, so that, in his own words,
II never got to fret base, was a
blow at the public. Had il sue
ceeded, had lighting and trans
portation plants been forced to
suspend, had the city's food sup
plies been cut off, and every es-
Sential industry in Seattle been
paralyzed, the strikers would have
suffered, but the greatest suffer
ers would have been the innocent
public.
Having nothing to do with the
causes in dispute, the public is
made the chief victim in the al
tempt at settlement by means Of
strike. Public officials a~e awak-
ening to the necessity of protect
ing the community against rcigns
of terror in the industrial world.
Mr. Bonar Law, speaking in the
British house of commons. decLar-
ed it was the duty of the govern
ment to defend the community
against strikes directed against
the community" Premier Lloyd
George, returning from Paris to
face an epidemic of strikes
throughout the United Kingdom,
took bold stand against all ex-
tremists and declared the govern
ment was determined to fight
Prussianism in the industrial
world exactly as we fought it Oh
the continent of Europe"
The complaint is made in Great
Britain that strikes are started by
leaders who do not fairly poll the
workers. So labor leaders get
their way without the backing of
the rank and file. The same thing
was true here in the strike Of the
Butte copper miners, the radicals
having packed the meeting at
which the strike was called. Al
ter nine days, the same element
prevailed and repudiated the
strike. This justiieS the nece>si-
~ of the reform we have ire
quently advocated - a secret
strike ballot under the control
of public officials. What legisIa-
tor has the courage TO propose il ?.
The end of the war has witness
ed strikes Of the most alarming
magnitude. Labor IS insisting on.
shorter hours and that wages shall
not be reduced from abnormal
war levels. Secretary OF War
Baker says that the war kas e>ti-
mated the cost of the war 10 all
belligerents at $103, 000,000.0O0
This represents waste Of proper
~ and capital under which the
world must stagger for genera
tons unless capital and labor CO.
operate and by common toll and
economy wipe out the debt.
This is not the time for strikes
or threats OF strikes. Il is a time
for employer and employe to get
together. The example Of Hi
nois is a coed one 10 emulate.
There the State Federation OF La
Dor appointed a committee On re-
construction problems. Suisse
quently the Illinois Man ltactur-
association took similar action
and then both committees were in.
vited by Governor Lowden to
meet him IN conference This
method viii not be hailed BY the
radicals and labor extremists but
viii meet the approval Of the rank
and file. We recommend Govern
or Lowden's action TO those in
authority at Washington. some of
whom have treated grave and far
extending industrial disputes as if
they were no concern, Of the peo-
ple, but only of politicians SEEK
ing to curry the favor Of the labor
vote.
Wauchula, Manatee and other