The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-10-10
CAPITAL OFFERS
TWELVE RULES
Proposals Of All Three Groups
at Conference Now in
Hands of Committee.
BOYCOTTS "IM M ORAL"
Collective Bargaining and the
Closed Shop Opposed.
Strikes Not Denied.

Washington, Oct. 1o.-oppositie
to collective bargaining and Il
closed shop were among twelve ful
dame ntal principles outlined by Il
group representing capital and pr,
sented today to the national indu
trial conference here. Sympathet
strikes, bIaoklists and boycotts wei
declared to be "indefensibIe, antist
ciaI and immoral"
While depIorine strikes and loci
outs, the principles set forth that II
right of strike or lockout Should NJ
be denied as an ultimate resort aft,
all possible me ans Of adjustment ha
been exhausted" This right, how
ever, should apply only to private ir
dustry.
Twelve Principles.
The twelve principles as enunciatt
by the capital group follow:
Production: There should be no
Intentional restriction of productive
effort or output by either the en-
ployer or the employe to create an
artificial scarcity of the product or
of the labor in order to increase
prices or wages.
The establishment as produc-
tive unit: The establishment rather
than the industry as whole or any
branch of it should as far as prac-
ticable, be considered as the unit
of production and the mutual inter-
est on the part of employer and
employe. Each establishment
should develop contact and full op-
portunity for interchange of view
between management and men,
through individual or collective
dealing. or combination of both.
Conditions of work: 1t is the duty
of management to make certain
that the conditions under which
work is carried on are as safe and
as satisfactory to the workers as
the nature of the business reason
ably permits. Every effort should
be made to maintain steady employ
ment of the workers both on their
account and to increase efficiency.
Wages: The worker should re-
ceive wage sufficient to maintain
him and his family at standard
of living that should be satisfac-
tory to right minded man and in
view of the prevailing cost of liv-
ing.
Women doing work equal with
that of men under the same condi-
tions should receive the same rates
of pay and be accorded the same
opportunity for training and ad-
yancement
Hours of work: The standard of
the work schedule should be the
week, varying as the peculiar re-
quirements of individual industries
may demand. Over time should as
far as possible be avoided, and one
day of rest in seven should be pro-
vided.
Settlement of disputes: Each es-
tablishment should provide ade-
quate means for the discussion of
all questions and the just and
prompt settlement of all disputes,
but there should be no improper
limitation or impairment of the ex-
ercise by management of its essen
tial function of Judgment and di-
rection.
Right to associate: The right of
men, whether employers, employees
or others for collective action or
dealing confers no authority and
involves no right OF compulsion
over these who do not desire to
act or deal with them as an as
sociation. Arbitrary use of such
collective power to coerce Or con-
troll others without their consent
is an infringement of personal lib
erty and menace to the institu-
tions of a free people.
Responsibility of associations:
Every association, whether of en-
ployers or employees, must be
equally subject to public author
ity and legally answerable for it's
own conduct Or that of its agents.
Freedom of contract: With the
right to associate recognized the
fundamental principle of individual
freedom demands that every per-
son must be free to engage in any
lawful occupation or enter into any
lawful contract as an employer or
an employe, and be secure in the
continuity and rewards of his ef-
fort.
The open shop: The principles
of individual liberty X X X require
that there should be no interfer-
ence with the "open shop" While
fair argument and persuasion are
permissible, coercive methods
aimed at turning the open shop,
into closed shop or closed
nonunion shop should not be toll
Grated. No employer should be
required to deal with men or
groups of men. who are not his
employees or chosen by and from
among them.
The right to strike or lockout: In
the statement of the principle that
should govern as o the right to
strike or lockout a sharp dstinc-
l.. In Il hnf
employment relations in the field:
(a) of the private industry: (b)
Of public utility service, and (c)
Of government employment, fed
eral, state or municipal.
In private industry the strike or
the lockout is to be deplored; but
the right to strike or lock out
should not be denied as an ulti-
mate resort after all possible
means of adjustment have been
exhausted. Both employers and
employees should recognize the Sc
riousness of such action and should
for the same. The sympathetic
strike is indefensible. antisocial
and immoral. The same may be said
of the blacklist, the boycott and
also of the sympathetic lockout.
In public utility service the pub
lie interest and welfare must be
the paramount and controlling con-
sideration. The state should.
therefore, impose such regulations
as Will assure continuous operation,
at the same time providing ade-
quate means for the prompt hear
ing and adjustment of complaints
and disputes.
A strike of government employees
is an attempt to prevent the oper-
alton of government until the de-
mands of such employees are grant,
ed. and cannot be tolerated. The
right of government employees to
be heard and to secure just redress
should be amply safeguarded :,
Training: Practical plans should
he inaugurated In industry and
outside of 1t for the training and
upgrading of industrial workers,
their proper placement in industry,
the adoption and adaptation of ap-