The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-24

CESS a. members, was appointed 70 dra1t
report for the President and to rec
prnniend future procedure. This commit
tee is to report at a conference of the
public group tomorrow afternoon at
: 2 80 o'clock A course of procedure will
be then determined. It lie likely that the
4 session, like that of to-day, will be an
executive one.
The public group may be enlarged to
make Il more representative or the en-
tire people before 1t proceeds with. ite
programme Secretary Lane mace
plain that in the new start genera
programme would be mapped out IN al
. vance so that the gathering would not
: be engaged on n single issue withou.
considering all OF the many problems OF
I Industrial relationship before the coun-
j sry.
: President Wilson IL studying the
problem presented and II may be tnat
inter a real programme Is formulated ne
90 will directly invite labor representative
md employers representatives OF ms
own choosing TO participate In the us
cussions and actions of the conference
THE employers and employees represent
natives In the recent conference W.
not selected directly by the President
They were nominated by representative
organizations of employers and OF LABOR
/ The Employer Statement.
! Here is the statement of the employ
! srs' group issued tonight:
Tho adjournment OF the National IN
dustriai Conference as originally con-
/, stituted brings up sharply the question
. of whether the weeks of controversy
: oye- one phase only OF Industrial reia-
, tiuns leaves the situation without SIN
gle gain. The employers group sooerly
.fAWn a
reviewing the work OF the conference
discovers three definite gains:
! 81 1t has been demonstrated that
fault is inevitable wnere preliminary Or
sanization of the elements composing
such a conference is absent, and where
p, no preparation is made for the orderly
: plan of a programme which shall incluoe
. all of the known factors upon which
Industrial relations are based.
-. Collective bargaining an achieved
: and desirable policy in Industry mas peen
brought more prominently before the
country and will influence sincere Ell
fort on the part Of innumerabie manu-
racturers to find an acceptable medium
upon which this collective relationship
hlay be secured and maintained In the
industrial situation. -
rs. Collective bargaining as policy
Of principle cannot be safely used In the
2 broad and general sense with which the
bubble has been accustomed to express
it but must be defined clearly as to its
applicability to the varying conditions
of industry and the varying relations
that exist between wage Garner and the
employer.
Both Sides Responsible.
Fundamental to the whole question of
collective bargaining is the responsible
ity OF those who bargain. and this is d.
rected quite as much at the employer as
at the wage Garner. or the organization
Of which the wage Garner Is a member.
Only where there is a definite and. dual
responsibility. lived up to as scrupulously
as ia required in other contractual re-
Iations, can collective bargaining in any
form or under any Interpretation be sue
!. cessful.
Then 1t must be remembered that
the industrial life Of the country In It's
employment relations divides definitely
along certain lines. No one will deny
the right of the individual wage Garner
and his employer to negotiate terms OF
{ employment for Industrial relations ac-
. ceptable in both but aside from this
there is the dealing between the en-
ployer and shis employees by means OF
the shop industrial council, dealing
Through a trade or labor union. dealing
through trade union. and all OF these
methods are acknowledged and prac-
ticed by employers.
TT may be charged that the en-
ployers group in defeating the Gompers
resolution denied the right Of organiza'
. Tion and of collective bargaining. But
the conference learned definitely thai
: the right OF organization and of col
Z lective bargaining are interpreted BY
4 the labor group in one way and one
way only, organizing and bargaining
through trade and labor unions. Il
would be unfair to make any pronounce
ments on these two principles, which
would convey as the belief Of this con
ference such as Interpretation.
Cunning Phrases Charged.
The purpose of the resolution through
cunning phrases coined to carry doubl
meaning. was to commit the conference
20 support the only brand Of collective
bargaining ever offered by the groul
presenting 1t and the employers wer
bound to resist to the end.
The employers group could not den,
the right that II so freely and full
. conceded In its own substitute resolu
ton which the conference defeated, an
stands to-day with the adjournment o
the conference upon the record of II
substitute and its Interpretation, conf
dent that the sober judgment of tn
american people will come to under
stand that the position taken was i
! the defence of the open shop, an Amer
can institution that shall not be under
mined and destroyed by any organize
. combination seeking to threaten its lif
our social and industrial fabric is nj
in danger. Employer and wage earne
win live and work together, but the cor
ference had demonstrated that the rigf
Of the employer to deny representatio
/. unworthily sought. shall not be abridged
nor shall the right OF the wage earn,
collectively to place before his own en-
ployer his needs and his aspirations ar
his interest in the establishment
abridged.
awe are leaving upon the record