The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-29
BOARD ASKS 5 5 ADVICE AS il LABOR PROBLEM May Take Away Right To Strike From Public Utili-
 ties Employees. DOES NOT DO AWAY WITH ULTIMATE
 STRIKE RIGHT Public Hearings To Be Held Sometime During
 January.

ment of machinery to prevent or re- tard labor conflicts in private indus try were announced today by the Presidents Industrial Conference with a view to obtaining constructive criticism before a final plan is adopt ed. The plan as outlined now contem- plates the creation of a National In dustriaI Tribunal and Regional Boards of Inquiry and Adjustment, which would move to the settlement of disputes before there was any stoppage of production. Decisions would have the full force and effect a1 a trade agreement between the parties to the dispute,
 Remarking that some public utiu- ties such as railroads, are essential to the very existence of the people, the conferences tentative statement expressed the opinion that the inter raption in such essential public utili- ties Is intoIerable," But the confer erce states that further consideration Is required Of the problem whether some method can be arrived at that wall avert all danger of interruption 60 service.
 Government employees, the third class Into which the wage earning public are divided, should have the ElZhI to aSSOcl3I6 1OI mutual pTOIGc- ton, the statement declared, but mo interference by any group with the continuous operation or government functions through concerted cessation of work or threats thereof can be per n7itted.''
 When the conference reconvenes January 12, public hearings will be held to obtain expert advice as to the drafting of the final recomme menda- lions in the light of such criticism of the tentative report as may be re- Ceived.
 While stating that at this time it was believed more essential to devise machinery for aYerting conflicts than to undertake 8 discussion of the causes of unrest, the conference indi- ca1ed clearly the general principles on which it has based its recommenda- tions
 Our modern industrial organiza,- tion," the tentative report said, If it is not to become 9, failure, must yield to the individual a larger satisfaction with life. X Not only must the theory that labor is a comm odity be abandoned, but the concept of leader ship must be substituted for that of mastership. \ x Human fellowship in industry must either be an empty phrase or a living fact
 Pending the growth of better re- latonships between employers and employees, the practical approach fo the problem is to devise a method of preventing or retsrding conflicts by providing machinery for the adjust meut o6 differences To be success fu1 such tribunals must be so organiz- ed as to operate promptly as well as imparGa11y- The plain fact Is I1zl& about the power of great employers; it is becoming uneasy about the power of labor organizations The community must be assured against d0rntaat1on by either.
 The plan which follows does not propose to do away with the ultimate right to strike to discharge, or to maintain the closed or the open shop"
 The National Industrial Tribunal suggested by the conferences, would consist Of nine members appointed by the President three each representing the employers employees and the pub lie The Tribunal would, in general, be a board of appeal, whose decisions must be unant1n ous, but provision was made for public majority and min- orny reports in cases where no agreement was possible
 Industrial regions, probably twelve in number conforming to the federal reserve system. would be outlined and z. regional chairman appointed for each by the President Vice chair men would be named by the Tribunal. If the work in any region required it.
 Panels of employers and employees for each region would be prepared by the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Labor, respectively, after conferences with the employers and workers of that region Each panel, approved by the President would be classified by industries among the employers and by industries, with sub classification into crafts, among the employees Lots would be cast to determine the order of names in each panel
 When a dispute arose fin a-2.- re- zion, the chairuaan wculS request each side to s;1IhBli1 t tp a Rzeg,nal Board of Adjustment, coas:sz ing o4 the chairman, one representative chosen by each side, and two unchal- 1enged m nennbers of each panel. Ap- po1ntment of representatives of both sides to any dispute would constitute an agreement to continue the status that existed when the trouble arose Decisions of such regional boards
 
 question would be referred by unani- Inous vote to umpire, whose deci- sion would be final, or to the Ma tiona1 Tribunal
 Refusal by any side to a controver- sy to submit to adjustment would re- suit in the constitution of a Regional Board of Inquiry, consisting of the chairman, two members of each pane and the representative of either side that agreed to adjustment If the other side consented to adjustment before r;lr inquiry was completed, the Board of Inquiry would become a Board of Adjustment by appointment of the remaining members. Other wise, the Board of Inquiry would in- vestigate the dispute and make pub lie it's findings for the benefit of the public
 '1n the presentation of evidence the preliminary statement declared leach side shall have the right tt present it's position through represen tatives of its own choosing"
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