Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-18
Committee of Fifteen Near
an Agreement, Which Means
a Unanimous Report.
BASIS OF COMPROMISE
EMPLOYERS SUGGESTION
Meets Demand of Employees That
They Shall Be Represented
by Trained Leaders.

When the committee of fifteen
recessed for luncheon shortly after
noon today, Chairman ChadbOurne
said he was confident a declara-
ton on collective bargaining
would be agreed upon unanimous
ly. Charles Edward Russell, the
ohhcialIy-d esignated spokesman
for the committee, said the groups
were getting closer together.
Bernard NJ. Baruch, chairman of
the public group. conferred for
few minutes with Chairman Chad
bourne Of the committee after the
recess. and then left the Pam
American building in a White
House automobile in company with
Admiral Grayson, President VIII
sons physician.
With public sessions of the Presi-
dents industrial conference adjourned
until Monday. the committee Of f1f-
teen met this morning to make what
may be final effort to reach an
agreement on the form of the resolu-
ton declaring the principle Of collec-
tive bargaining. AS the committee.
1--WE members from each conference
group. went into session the diff
ferences standing in the way Of an
agreement were so narrow as to make
it seem that a compromise must be
reached, or the effort as well aban-
doned
Night of Conferences.
The committee members came to the
meeting tired. for most Of them had
spent a greater part of the night CON-
ferring with associates in their own
groups or with conferees in the other
groups.
They were tired. but hopeful, for
some real progress had been made.
And nothing is more manifest. at the
end OF the second week of the confer
ence. than that the members Of all the
groups have become impressed with
the very real necessity that they bring
forth some practical accomplishment
Like the audiences of a. poetic parson,
many who came to scoff remain to
pray.
1t now generally is recognized that
the collective bargaining resolution
came before the conference prema-
turely 1t was injected to avert the
crisis Of vote on the Gompers' reso-
luton providing for arbitration OF
the steel strike by a committee of the
to result in discontinue of the labor
group and the engendering of bad
blood. But having the collective-bar
gaining resolution before 1t, the con-
ference finds itself in the position OF
the man who had bear by the tail
1t dare not let go. Members Of the
labor group insist their position will
be untenable unless something is
brought to head, and they are press
ing for a vote, either on the collective.
bargaining or the Gompers resolutions
1t seemed at adjournment of the
conference last evening that the dead
lock on collective bargaining was
hopeless. but the atmosphere had
cleared sufficiently over night to
make a fresh start possible this
morning.
Two Words Stand in Way.
Up TO. the present time two little
monosyllables have stood in the way
of an agreement on the principles OF
collective bargaining. The labor
group has insisted that workers
| should be recognized as having the
right Of collective bargaining through
representatives of their own choos-
ing. The employers have concede ed
4 lob Of hai
ganize and bargain collectively
through representatives chosen by
and of them. Thus and Of stood in
the way of agreement 1t debarred
workers from the benefit of havinp
negotiations conducted by the skilled
ofnclals or agents of their labor
unions, unless such officials or agents
| happened to De employed in the mar.
| ticular establishment where disnute
| had arisen.
Members of the employers prour
| this morning indicated possihIe
Willingness to modify their position
| in this respect. The suggested basis
| of agreement is that employees sbomld
| be represented in collective bargain.
ing by representatives actually chosen
| for that purpose by secret and mn.
| Influenced vote of the employees in an
| establishment where dispute had
| arisen This would make IT nossihIe
in each instance for workers to cali
| in their trained union officials or
| agents, but would require that the
| men first be dissatisfied TO the point
Of initiating negotiations by the cleo
ton or representatives. 1t would
meet the objection of employers that
walking delegates" ought not direct.
! ly interfere in their businesses when
| their employees have no real eriey-
| ances.
Labor Attitude Unannounced.
Members OF the labor group who sit
as members Of the committee of fifteen
did not indicate this morning what their
position would be should the above pro.
posal for a compromise be brought for.
ward either by members from the EN-.
ployers' group or of the group repre.
senting the public. but there was Zen.
eral recognition that should the bro.
posed compromise be offered and re.
jected by labors representa- iyes the
1