Evening star., 1919-09-28
WILL PEOPLE DEMAND
RESTRAINT OF LABOR?
Congress Is Asking Itself if Pendulum of
Strikes and Crippled Industry Has
Swung Too Far

the federation is approved. as it
probably win be in a short time. the
membership will then be 100000.
But even so. that still represents q
comparatively small proportion Of
the people when It comes to denying
the right Of the people to facilities for
the transportation of food and fuel
1t may be recalled that the United
100000 men and sent 100000 out
Of the country, and stiIl there re-
mained quite q considerable popula
tion in the civil walks Of life in the
country.
Congress has done It's share to put
organized labor in the saddle. There
is no gatnsaying the TACT that labor
unions have been . tremendous factor
toward the uplift Of labor. They
have done great thugs for the
country as . whole. During the war
the American Federation Of Labor.
under the Leadership OF Mr.. G0znpsrs.
was loyal to the government and did
its share toward winning the war.
But. members Of Congress declare. II
il not entitled to run the entire
country on that account. now that
peace fs here, any moro than the
Army which fought In France would
be entitled to dominate.
Susceptible to Opinion.
nS--A>.. - rs>~~~A.. go - eu~~nn.
tible to the trend OF public opinion
al. the ordinary human being is to
draft on tho back Of his neck. In
districts where organized labor has
been strong tho congressman have IN
most instances, been under the con-
troll Of organized labor. The conse-
auence 10 that laws have been enact
cd giving special privileges to or
ganised labor-end to organisations
Of farmers also. But, while the
farmers were dragged into this, II
has been organised labor which spe-
c,aIIy bsneffted b ythis leGislation.
In the 1arst place It was particuiar-
" provided in the Clayton antitrust
law, amending the Sherman hw. that
labor unions and farmers organtsa
tions should be exempted from the
operation Of the antitrust lkwA La
Dor unions were finding that court
orders restraining them from doing
certain things when they went on
strike were hamperfng their pro-
grams. So this distinction was made
in favor Of laor org4nizations, while
the ordinary citizen yas stin snhens
able. 70 the faw. -. st-@ ~
rhen there was. placsd upon the
sundry civ1 appr6priatien bin for the
fiscal year tsls provise that. mensys
appropriated for the enforcement of
the antitrust laws should mot be
used by the Attorney General to pros
ecute labor unions or farmert or
ganixatfonS-the very same prUviso
to which Mr.. Fsss took exception re-
cently-and this proviso has been
written into appropriation bills ever
since. Former President Taft felt 30
strongly opposed to this claas legisla-
tion that he vetoed the bill. When it
Was put up to President Wilson he
did not veto the appropriation bill.
but sent . message to Congress de-
ploring such legislation and. calling
it vicious.
The next step taken by Congress
that strengthened the position Of or
eanixed~ labor was the enactment of
the Adamson law. It IL not contend
ed that the eight-hour day b not
lust. But the railway brothsrhoods
came to Washington and threatened
to tie up the transportation fAcili-
ties of the entire country n their d.
mands vere not granted Ths-1 ram
road executives however. srsf1Doa 70
yield. So The PresadmtS.ma.CUngr
were appealed ia. and the-resnle-was
the Adamso1 Law.
Halt Must Be called, Il Feeling.
There 10 = strong feeling among
members Of Congress. ana that feel
fnE il growing. that . halt must be
called somewhere II the repuhho.
with its guarantees OF justice 10 an
the citizens, II to Be maintained. Il
is estimated that tho hundreds Of
SIf1k0S WHICH uBVO OCCUf10Q IN G0l8
country since the armistice was
signed-the greatest Of them all. the
steel strike, IL now on-h8ve reduced
production BY billions of dollars: that
these strikes have added materially
to the present high prices on that
account Labor IL reeeiving hixher
wages today than labor dreamed Of
four or flve years ago.
The criticism II made that many Of
the strikes. therefore. have been m1us- .
titled. The threatened strike Of the
railroad employees. which has been held
up pending efforts Of tho government to
reduce the high cost Of living. when
these employees have had their wages M
creased very largely in tho last year OF
two and their heurs ahortened. may !
prove boomerang II undsrtakeh
According to advices received. ch1s
week. d total Of III strikes are now on
throughout the country and sixty-three
ether strikes are threatened. There may
be more. But 1t II plain from these Dc.
80 n. -