Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-29
A LONG STEP TOWARD
STRIKE SUBSTITUTES
Plans for National Industrial Tribunal
Rest on the knowledge That lnjus.
tice Cannot Survive Daylight

!
Rest on the knowledge That lnjus.
tice Cannot Survive Daylight
/ BROADLY viewed, the tentative plans
II of the latest of Mr. Wilson's indus
trial conferences would provide what
| might be called jury trial for the dis
putcs and disagreements that now lead
to strikes, lockouts and general unrest.
The jury that the conference seems to
! have in mind is the general public.
The supreme industrial tribunal Of
nine about which the whole scheme re-
wolves could be little more than high
interpreter Of the facts in given cases.
Mr.. Hoover. Secretary Wilson. Mr..
| Wickersham and their associates desire,
! in a word. to provide for the settlement
! Of industrial controversy machinery as
/ dignficd and as efficient as that which
( the courts have always provided for the
/ adjustment Of the far less important
I private squabblcs that rise between in
/ dividuals.
/ No one can say that their view is not
| logical and humane The method sug-
gested is devised primarily to keep the
! facts and factors in every discussion open
every turn after a dispute begins to take
| on dangerous aspects
The scheme is sketchy in its present
form. The conference acted with tact
in formulating its plan and presenting
| it to the country for general discussion
! and criticism before continuing further
with the work assigned to it,
At first glance it must appear that
there is fatal error in the form pro-
! posed for the tribunal suggested as the
supreme court for labor troubles.
This board is intended to include three
! representatives of labor, three represen-
tatives of the employers groups and three
representatives of the public, to be named
| by the President and ratified by the Sen
ate. More properly the Supreme Court
of the United States might be the model
! for an industrial tribunal of the sort
| proposed and, as we all know, the Su-
| preme Court is not made up Of special
! delegations representative of opposed in
terests. 1t is not infected with class
| consciousness.
At the outset it must appear that the
unanimous decisions required to make
l
! tribunal final and binding would be no
easier to reach in pinch than was unan-
imous action in the industrial conference
which, similarly constituted, was wrecked
upon the rock of class feeling a few
months ago to make way for the newer
group which is now struggling with the
! task that its predecessor couldn't per-
form.
1t appears. then. that the present in
dustrial conference is still thinking i'll
terms of concliation and depending
chiefly upon the force of public opinion
which the hearings and the reports of
its tribunal would arouse and upon the
! wholesome effects of daylight in the
dark places of the industrial system. 1t
is seeking to have the service Of trained
and even technical minds in it's high
court of appeal.
There may be wisdom in that aim. But
anybody who has watched the course of
recent industrial disputes knows that
labor men and employers representatives
alike find it difficult to forget their pref
udices even when they sit upon what are
supposed to be impartial boards.
The tribunal of nine could unquestion-
ably enlighten the country by means of
! minority and majority reports. But de-
cisions of the sort which would be bind
ing under present or future laws because
| they We're unanimous would be, in all
probability, extremely rare.
An industrial tribun8f is necessary. 1t
is quite as necessary as the Supreme
Court. But it should be tribunal COM
posed Of impartial men, free from special
interest and concerned only with the
peace and welfare of the country and the
prosperity of its people and its industries.
Such tribunal should be an arbiter
in the name of society. Then its decisions
could not be questioned, and it would re-
ceive reader support from Congress and
from the people.
Technical knowledge is necessary for
the just settlement Of many of the prob
lens that are being made only more
acute by strikes and violence. But
court ordinarily depends on witnesses to
supply that knowledge Judges are not
expected to provide it unaided.
The general provisions of the plan of
fered today for the consideration Of the
country are promising. This first report
| from Il SIpup "hlNIl IaSto Il ApilS neg
lected and complicated task has whole
some sound. The conference is pioneer
ing over virgin ground and it is going
slowly to avoid pitfalls
The suggestion that regional indus
trial boards operating within the bound
aries suggested by the twelve federal
reserve districts be established to deal
with and settle labor troubles in their
early stages is inspired, in all probable
ity, by the excellent work of the war
labor board. which found that an intell-
gent and fair approach TO any minor dis,
pute insured a peaceful and satisfactory
settlement in the vast majority of in
| etances ITnder the nlan now snppesteo