The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-11-08
WAGES ENOUGH,
HOURS TOO LONG
Senate Investigators De-
eide Steel Strike Due to
Plan to Organize
PUBLIC HAS RIGHT
IN THE QUARRELS
Mediation Agency of Well
Defined Powers Rec
commended

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no place in this country either for in
dustrial despotism or labor despotism,
the Senate committee authorized to in
vestigate the steel strike to-day pre-.
sented a. report covering its hearings
both in Washington and in Pittsburgh,
and criticising both the workers and
the employers in the controversy which
resulted i'm at least partial disruption
Of the steel industry.
The committees main conclusion,
conCurred in by all members, was ex-
pressed in the statement that "the pub
lie has a right to demand that capital
shall not abrogate TO itself the right to
determine in its own way those indus
trial questions, and it is the same as
TO labor, and the duty is upon Congress
to provide some way of adjusting these
difficulties"
As permanent preventive Of strikes,
which the committee comedies ''are APP
parently the only way for labor to Sc
cure even its just demands if employ
ers refuse to grant them, it is recon-
mended that Congress authorize the es-
tablishment of some such mediation
agency with well defined powers as the
recently dissolved war labor board.
This board would have the power
OF compulsory investigation" the re-
port adds on this subject, but "not
to the extent of compulsory arbitra-
ton A just decision of the board
would be endorsed by the public. There
is good sense enough in the American
people TO bring about an adjustment Of
these difficulties"
Committee members who conducted
the investigation were fairly unani-
nous in the report, though leaving open
points on which they could not agree.
The report was signed by Senator Ken.
yon of Iowa, chairman, and Senators
Sterling, South Dakota; Phipps, Colo
RADIO, Republican, and Mckellar, Ten
nessee, and Walsh, Massachusetts,
Democrats.
Treating Of the causes Of the strike.
the committee In its report expressed
the opinion that the walkout was pre-
cipitated by the determination of the
American Federation OF Labor to or
ganize the steel industry. Wages are
not a factor in the strike, the commit.
tee held, being high enough to give no
reason for dissatisfaction. Hours of
workers, however, the senators believed,
are too long
Revolutionary Radicalism Found.
Further behind the strike, the com
mittee found. was massed "a consider.
able element" Of revolutionary rad-
calism Of which it il said, there is no
question but that William T. Foster,
secretary of the general strike commit.
tee, was leader. With Jacob Mar
golis, attorney for the l. w. W, and
assistant in organizing the strike, Sec,
rotary Foster came in for unsparing
consideration. Despite Fosters partial
disayowal Of his former syndicalist doe
trines. the committee failed to be con
WINGED that the strike leader has had
a "iittle change of heart but says on
the contrary, "he is now in the full hey
day Of his power"
''The laborers in the steel mills had
just complaint relative to the long
hours Of service on the part Of some
Of them and the right to have that
complaint heard by the company said
the committee in summing up its for
NAL findings.
"They had the right TO have repre-
sentatives of their own choosing pres
ent grievances to the employers Some
members of the committee believe that
moge friendly relations would be main
tanned between employer and employe
if the representatives who are chosen
to present grievances to the employers
were actually working in the industry
and that such Representatives ought
not to be from outside the industry
With the system of working hours in
the steel industry, the committee dis
agreed strongly and cited as one objec-
tion thereto the existence of large mum
bers of non -English-speaking workers
in the mills, who should be given OPP
portunity to become Americanized.
Eight-Hour Day Long Enough.
"We believe that a large majority Of
the men actually working in the mills
work 10 and II hours day." the re
port said.
"Men cannot work 10 and II hours a
day and attend classes in night schools.
An eight hour day with a living wage
that will enable men to support their
families and bring up their children ac-
cording to the standards of American
life ought to be cardinal part of our
industrial policy, and the sooner the
principle is recognized the better it will
be for the entire country"
Sketching briefly the history of the
steel strike, the report dealt with the
efforts of strike leaders to get Judge Il.
II. Gary, chairman of the United States
Steel corporation, into a conference far
enough to point out that committee
members felt sympathy with the prin-
ciple of collective bargaining, but did
not believe the steel strikers had taken
the right course.
"The representatives selected (for
bargaining) should be those who be
lieye in the principles of American
government" the report said on the
point. Judge Gary could well have OBJ
jected to receiving a man with the
views of Mr.. Foster. He did not put his
refusal on that ground, but rather put
it on the ground that the men did not
represent the employees, though himself
conceding that 10 to Is per cent Of the
men in the mills were probably union
lied. 1t iseems to us that even this 10
to 10 per cent had the right to select
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