Evening star., 1919-11-30

pers or Congress believe. IL als6 can
be controlled under the commerce
act. When the coal operatorA in a
number of states combine to fi1 the
price of coal-thats interstate. When
the coal miners in Illinois and West
Virginia and Wyoming. for example.
unite in a national or International
union 20 make demands-that also is
interstate. The same with steel.
When any industry that is a part OF
commerce becomes Interstate and ma
tional it can be brought under the
control of the commerce act. members
of Congress argue.
1t will not require any very elabo-
rate extension of the Interstate Com
merce Commission, they say. to reach
all those industries which might feel
tempted to try to i"hold up" the public.
Some advocate incorporation of the
la Dor unions to make them respons-
ible. the same as organization of
capital is controlled through incorpo-
ration
Commissioner c. c. McChord has a
bill drafted, which has been studied
by some leaders in Congress. which
suggests a commission having the
power to investigate all differ
ences as to wages and to make ad-
justments. His bill also would provide
for fixing prices for commodities sold
to railroads. &'his same power should
be extended to all industries that enter
into interstate commerce, either
through interstate capital or inter-
ct, a;1 - 1oh ha
of Congress say.
Government to Step In.
They would have the government
agency represent the public in con-
troversies between these two great
contending forces-capital and labor.
When they reach a stage in which
their quarrel menaces the public in
terest the government should step in
and settle the row, congressman are
coming to believe.
The majority in Congress seems
pretty well decided that law can
be passed which will say to industries
and to industrial bullies, either capi-
tai or labor, or both: You can't
strike or lockout until Uncle Sam
has Investigated and rules which is
at fault and how to settle your fight
But how to enforce any ruling and
make either side in the controversy
call off the strike is a problem which
quite a few in Congress frankly admit
has them stumped.
Each Workers Responsibility.
An active leader on the majority
side OF the House, from Massachu
setts, has been devoting much time
to these industrial problems. He
thinks that some way of making
each individual laborer in the union
financially responsible. that he.
personally, would lose something in
the event of a strike can be worked
out. He is trying to work it out.
His idea, roughly stated. is some
thing like this:
If organized labor insists on COL
lective bargaining it should in all
fairness be willing to give a bond
that the contract would be lived up :,
to A bond should be required from
each party to the contradiction
capital as well as from labor.
Whatever wage scale was agreed
upon, it should be written into the
contract that a certain amount each
week would be deducted from the
pay of each individual workman to-
ward payment for the bond. The
labor union, as a union, should con-
tribute to this fund. Labor's bond
would be forfeited in the event of a
strike; capitals bond would be for
feited in the event Of a lockout.
Capitals money would then be used
in caring for those forced out of work
by the lockout; labor's money would
be used to continue the production
of essential commodities-food,c cloth
ing, fuel, transportation. etc.
The representatives of industry
should on making the contract dis
tinctly agree that the federal govern
ment would have the right to enter
upon the property and continue pro-
duction.
Option for Workman.
if there is no industrial dis
turbance, say, for three years, the
workman would be given the option
Of letting his fund stand as guaran-
tee for another similar period, with
interest paid to him, or of withdraw
ing the fund and going to work else
where.
There are more strikes than lock-
outs, and"the lockouts are generally
retaliatory. With the removal of the
opportunity for groups of employees
to hold up production, congressman
generally are of the opinion that in
dustrial conflicts would be reduced to
a minimum by federal arbitration.
The essence of the plan in mind is to
have workmen contribute something
which would not be a burden because
made in small payments. but in the ag-
gregate amount to something he would
think about before he took chance of
losing it. The individual with some
thing to lose hesitates before taking
drastic action. while the man who has
nothing to lose is reckless about doing
something that may make a large part
of the citizenship suffer.
1t is thought that this plan would also
do away with much of the industriaf
turnover. shifting from one job to an
other.
The mo strike until there has been a
third party investigation" recommenda-
ton made by President Wilson is much
in favor in Congress Leaders say there
is a good chance to have this principle