The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-10-14
SPARCO OFFERS
PUBLIC'S PLAN
Right of Labor to Deal With
Employers Through Unions
IndorSed.
SIX RULES INTRODUCED

Washington, Oct. 14.-Six resolu
tions dealing with the relations be
tween capital and labor and particu
larly the right of labor to deal with
employers through unions, were In
troduced by members Of the public
group today when the national indus
trial conference reconvened. Johr
Spargo, of New York, offered a reso
luton proposing the conference "se
forth the fundamental principle.
which should govern public policy II
relation to all Industrial conflicts,
and pledging the convention to tn.
Endorsement of the following princl
pies:
The recognition without quail
fication of the rights of workers
to combine into unions and COM
binations of unions for the fur
therance of labor's interests and
protection Of labor's rights.
The right to representation of
workers by union officials In
dealing with employers,
Making it a penal offense for
any organization or industry to
refuse to hear the claims, de-
mands or complaints of organized
labor as voiced by union officials
and recommending that congress
enact laws to make this principle
Immediately applicable to every
department of the government,
except the army and navy, and to
every individual corporation or
concern of every description.
Providing that any attempt on
the part of any employer to pe-
nallze any worker for lawful actiy-
ity In promoting the interests Of
any union, whether such penali-
zation take the form of discharge.
refusal of employment or other
wise, should be made unlawful
and punishable and providing
machinery for the investigation of
all such cases.
1ndorsing the right OF labor to
use every peaceful and lawful"
means to promote the principles
and aims of labor organizations.
including the right to free es-
semblage. speech and publication,
subject to necessary restrictions
in time of war or great national
emergency.
Advocating the establishment
In every state Of a special group
representing capital labor and
the general public, to inquire into
charges of suppression of the
rights of free speech and as
semblage and to order the re-
moval Of any prohibition of these
rights which may have been
issued without just cause.
Chairman Bernard M. Baruch, o
the public group, announced that tn,
resolutions were not those of tn,
group as q. body, and that their pres
entation had merely been assented t,
because the subjects were believed t,
relate to the purposes for which tn,
conference was called.
Samuel Gompers and the Iabo
group thought they saw in resolu
tion introduced by Chadbourne, of tn,
public group" plan to preven
public discussion Of the steel strik,
issue. Chadbourne told the confer
ence that the public group" had no
had sufficient time to discuss reso
lutons which came from the "em
ployers' group" and the "labol
group" He put his group in the DO
sitioni of having great problems pu
up to 1t from both sides and beint
forced to vote on them without hav.
ing opportunity for discussion. II,
wanted the conference to make ar.
that would permit the va.
rious groups to retire from the hal
and hold group discussions in re,
ports of the committee of fifteen"
Sampel Gompers took the floor ant
said:
Il gather from this resolution tha'
there are some differences in the
group which Mr.. Chadbourne repre-.
sents. l know from experience tha
when a group of men make up theil
minds to matter before public dis
cussion takes place, they cannot b,
made to change their minds there
after. l am against the resolution
because it prevents public discus
sion"
Nearly on the Rocks.
The conference came near gettinl
on the rocks as result of the word,
wrangle over the steel resolution.
The labor delegation retired to al
anteroom during a brief adjourn.
ment and several delegates openly
voiced their desire to bolt" the who'll,
conference.
Several members of the labor dele
cation declared that the other group.
were evading the ISSUE" and thai
the present methods were getting
them nowhere.