The Washington times., 1919-10-10
REPLY
WIDENS PARLEY GAP
lcontlnued - - ~


after all possible means Of adjust
ment have been exhausted" A dis
tinctfon is made. however, with re-
spect 20 strikes and 1OckOuts in pub
lie utility service and Government
service in both Of which, the code
declares, common rights and Obliga-
tions" make 80 necessary to consider
the situation from "a somewhat diff
ferent point OF view than private In
dustry." The code also condemns the
sympathetic strike and lockout a.
''anti-sociaI and immoral"
DenOunee Coercion.
Other principles in the proposed
code declare that:
Every association. whether OF en-
pIoyers or employees, must be equally
subject to public authority and legal
ly responsible for its own conduct
and that Of its agents.
All men have the right to associate
voluntarily, but "the arbitrary use Of
such collective power to cOerce or
control others without their consent
is an infringement OF personal lib
erty."
Each establishment should pro
vide adequate means for the discus
sion Of all questions" but there
should be no improper impairment
of the exercise by management OF its
essential function OF Judgment and
direction"
Hours OF work should be fixed Rt
a point consistent with rights Of The
worker and his right to an adequate
period Of leisure for rest, recreation,
home life and self-development" but
Overtime work should, as far as
- ----@EEnE 4-ma nnHH NJ
rest in seven should be provided"
Wages to be so adjusted as to main
tain the worker and his family at
standard Of living that should be
satisfactory to a right minded man
in view Of the prevailing high cost
OF living women to get equal pay
with men for equal work.
Work conditions to be as safe and
satisfactory to workers as nature Of
the business reasonably permits"
aThe establishment rather than the
Industry as q whole or any branch
OF IL should be considered a unit Of
and each establishment
should develop contact and full Op-
Dortunity for interchange Of view be-
tween management and men through
Individual or collective dealing or a
combination Of both
There should be no intentional re-
striction Of productive effort or out
put BY either employer or employe to
create an artificial scarcity Of the
product"
Doea Net Meet LaboF Cod.
The labor representative point out
that the answer Of the employers
rroup does not meet the labor code
Of industrial rights at any point. The
issue Of collective bargaining Is not
met squarely, nor Is that Of the liv-
ing wage, or the eight-hOur day, ae-
cording TO their way OF thinking.
They are not surprised at the atti-
tude taken BY the employers, saying
that IL only emphasizes the point
which they have made from the first,
that Il was impossible for the con-
ference to reach any amicable agree
ment
Mr.. Gompers made a bitter attack
on news articles concerning the con-
ference appearing in the washington
Post, saying he resented imputati0n
that "the differences that had develop
ed in the conference was q war be-
tween Amerfcanism and radicalism."
There Is not the slightest thing
that has been presented In the con-
ference for which labor needs 70
make apology" ne continued.
eff anything Is 20 be done here Il
must be done by. recognition Of funda-
mental principles. The laborer must
assume the same responsible position
rs any man in any other walk Of
life. - Misrepresentation in the press
Is not going to help the business Of
this conference"
To Probe Living Cogtn.
A cost Of living committee from the
.hree groups was appointed. Miss Ida
rarbell introduced q proposal which
you'd put the conference on record
IS favoring a board OF council in each
plant in which employs would be rep
resented, TO discuss wages and work
ng conditions. This board would
nave access to all cost sheets when
discussing wage questions.
l. F. Loree, president OF the Della
ware and Lackawauna Railroad in
a proposal to make a thor
,ugh-goinE inquiry into industrial
conditions in the United States, based |
lpOn government wage statistics, /
tic.
Proposals from the public relating
% the peaceable settlement Of indus |
rial disputes hereafter will be con- |
tdered by the groups, although warn /
ng was given that many Of them /
we're trivial, freakish and unworthy /