The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-20
LABOR IMPATIENT
CAPITAL DELAYING
PUBLIC ANXIOUS
Lawrence Thus Sums Up Atti"
tude of Three Groups in Big
Conference on Collective
Bargaining Proposition.

Bargaining Proposition.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Correspondent Of The News
Selmltarl.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20.-Labor i'm
patient and chatting over delay, capital
calm and deliberate and disposed to
seek more time for discussion, and the
group ,conciliatory and anxious
please both in order that there may
be no breakup in the industrial peace
conference on the very first project
collective bargaining. That's the stu
alton as the adjournment over the
weekend comes to a close.
Analysing still further the attitude
OF each OF the three groups, it is true
also that labor is dubious OF any agree
ment, skeptical OF the intent of the
employers In asking for prolonged de-
pate and inclined to stand absolutely
on the proposition as sponsored by the
public and labor groups. The employ
ers are not so doubtful and believe an
agreement can be reached, provided la
Dor alters its uncompromiSing position.
me public group is really optimistic
n confident.
1t would seem that the disagreement
is on phraseology, but each group knows
that the dispute goes deeper than that.
Yet there has been progress in a
week. The employers are ready to rec
ognize trades unions. That's a conces-
sion. But they want shop industrial
councils recognized too and the right
OF every employer to deal with shop
councils or trades unions. What the en-
ployers would like Is an entirely COM
prehensive scheme for the adjustment
OF industrial relations giving the shop
council its part and the trade union its
part-invalidating neither and recog-
nizing both.
At first sight this would seem ir-
reconcilable and the laboring men are
almost a unit in their belief that nothing
but an absolute recognition of the right
of men to organize in trades unions is
OF value. But labor did nevertheless
make an important concession when it
agreed to a clause proposed by H. B.
Endicott, Of the public group, to the
effect that every individual should have
the right to refrain from joining a un-
ion and dealing separately with his en-
ployer. Inside the labor group there
was some dissatisfaction with the ac-
ton of their spokesman in agreeing in
formally to this, but in order to preserve
harmony, all the labor members stood
pat on the language Of the resolution
containing that clause so that as it went
to the floor Of the conference the right
to be recognized in trades unions was
granted ON the one hand and the right
Of an individual or group OF individuals
to recognition as a separate and distinct
unit, apart from the unions themselves,
was also recognized.
Is Retroactive.
Therefore, the employers argue that
If the individual has a right to refrain
from entering a union and to make an
individual agreement with his employer
so has a group of individuals organized
perhaps in a shop industrial council. And
on their part, the employers steadfastly
maintain that the right granted to an
employer to deal separately with a non
member Of a union also carries with ii
the right to bargain with a group In
his shop and the refusal to deal either
with a shop council or a trade union
or both.
Eventually this point will be com
promised with the understanding thai
employers are obliged to deal with any
organization of their employees whether
1t be a shop council or a trade union
1t Is on the introduction OF influences
outside the shop that the hitch comes
The labor leaders claim the workers ir
any plant can bring in outside repre-.
sentatives such as trade union officials
Immediately. The employers would pre-
fer to deal directly with their own men
The compromise plan which Is being
discussed would provide for industrial
councils somewhat similar to those pro.
vided by the Whitley plan in England
but would not permit the calling II
of outside representatives until an alb.
solute disagreement had arisen tetweer
the employer and his employees and after
certain agreed upon processes Of ad.
justment had been exhausted.
Thus the labor union officials would
come In as a sort of mediating influ,
ence gradually until in the last of ar
absolute disagreement, the employees
would be able to leave their case tC
the trade union officials to work out
The responsibility of the employee to his
shop would be maintained and the con,
tact between employer and employ,
would be unimpaired by any outsid,
influence.
Bar Union Delegate.
There would of course be no objec,
ton to utilization with labor unions out
side and to the exchange of informa,
ton about shop conditions and wage.
but, on the other hand, the employee,
! would face his men and arrange sched
ules of wages and hours and seek L
obtain an agreement without the vexa.
| tious interference of the t~actless walk
ing delegate. There are no doubt tact
full walking delegates and reasonable la
Dor leaders, but the employers CLAIM
these are more apt to be found highe,
up In labor circles and not in the local
and districts. They are seeking, there
fore, to thresh gut differences will
their men and provide machinery TO
adjudication and then, in the event o
disagreement, to bring in the highe
! officials of the unions.
Labor probably would not agree t.
| such a process at the outset but unles
| the American Federation of Labo
wishes to take the responsibility TO
| breaking up the conference, 1t is un
| likely that there will be serious obtec
| ton to an agreement on the absolut
right to organize in trades unions o
| shop councils as the employees them
selves may determine. The labor mel
general and includes the privilege o
organizing Into any lawful association
whatsoever" this would be a tacit rec
| ognition OF the |. W. VS.. But If tn
employers want to take that chance
the feeling Is that the labor group ough
| not worry for the fondness on the par
of each for the L, W. w, Is thus ia
the single point of mutual understand
ing. So next week VIII surely brinI
isn't going to break up the conference
unless 1t Is absolutely sure that EN-
ployers mean to maNe no concession
whatsoever. But the tactics of the fat
ter from Thursday to Friday reveal tina
they are as anxious TO get an agree
ment with labor and keep the confer
ence in session as the labor group
| itself.
Copyright, 1919. by David Lawrence.
m TN NvTD m FIFTH NV