Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-21
Communication to Be Read
in Case Dissolution Ap- .
pears Certain.
SUBSTANCE OF 6O0-WORD
DOCUMENT NOT STATED
Chairman Lane Declares Leaders of
Three Groups Have Decided
to Frame Program.

President Wilson today partic lpated
in the industrial conference from his
sick bed by sending a 600-word COM
munication TO Secretary Lane of the
Interior Department. presiding off,
Ger. to be read to the assembly IN the
event dissolution appears certain. The
substance q this message has not
even been infimated
Within few minutes after the con-
ference met, at 1915 O'Clock this
morning. the labor group requested a
recess until IL o'clock. This was
granted. Meanwhile the Presidents
letter reached Mr.. Lane. Az noon the
labor men sent word from their meet
ing that they were not vet ready to
meet the other groups. and asked a
further recess until 2:30 O'Clock. This
was granted.
Reported to White House.
The serious situation in the confer
ence was reported to the President
early today after a conference be-
tween Chairman Lane. Secretary Will
son of the Labor Department. Bernard
NJ. Barurh. chairman of the public
man of the committee of fifteen, and
Secretary Tumulty. The President I'm
mediate1y dictated the letter to a
stenographer and signed the complet-
ed copy with a lead pencil.
The Presidents signature was writ
ten on the bias across the sheet. and
apparently his hand was somewhat
shaky when he signed 1t. Mr.. Tumulty
Immediately left for the Pan-Ameri-
can building. where the conference
LOTT 10 Nv ma
Before the brief session today
Chairman Lane said the conferences
would not be permitted to end its
work and that the leaders of the three
groups-capital. labor and the public
had decided to frame new ana
comprehensive program. involving all
Industrial issues of a general nature.
1t was understood that reference to
the specific issue that has caused the
present situation would be avoided.
Some Labor Me-. Impatient.
While there was no talk Of boiling
the conference. several members Of
the labor group plainly were i'm
patient. Delegates in the public
group, however. were confident that
the labor representatives would not
leave the conference. but would seek
through having succeeded in bring
ing the public representatives into
line with them on every important
issue thus far introduced.
1t developed today that the employ
ers are far from agreement among
themselves on a declaration regard
ing collective bargaining despite their
efforts to reach a common understand
ing at conferences yesterday and last
night. Some members of the group
were said to favor standing by the
substitute already introduced. but
others urged that a neY proposal be
submitted.
Secretary Wilson Intervenes.
Secretary Wilson of the Department
of Labor, sitting as a member Of the
conference at it's special request. at
lie group and lent his support to a res
olution on collective bargaining which
that group expected to bring into the
conference today.
The statement was made in the
group conference that the entire diff
ficulty had arisen because the labor
group was attempting to write labor
unionism into the specifications for
collective bargaining. Secretary Will
SON said he believed this was true,
and that he thought il wrong. He
held that such a body as the Presi-
dents industrial conference ought to
stick to general principles. broad
enough to cover the entire field, leav-
ing such collateral issues as trade
unions VS.. shop councils to be decided
in other places at other times.
In view of the fact that the labor
group. through Samuel Gompers. its
spokesman. has declared from the floor
OF the conference its belief in the wisdom
and fairness of Secretary Wilson. who
is himself a strong trades union man.
his attitude greatly strengthened the
determination of public group members
to bring I'm an impartial collective bar
gaining resolution. and let either the
labor or EMPLOYERS group, or both, take
the responsibility Of rejecting it.
Even in the public group there was
some objection to the resolution on the
ground that there was in it no reserva-
ton against associations OF employees OF
affiliating with organizations
which use the strike as weapon, but
this was dismissed as belonging in the.
category with unionism and shop coun-
cils-a collateral issue having no proper
place in a resolution OF this kind. It
was conceded that government employees
should have the right to organize for
collective bargaining.
The air was electrical when tho
conference CONNtncu tulS
and all sorts of rumors were floating
around the corridors of the Pam
American building. The COMMITTEES
Of fifteen was in session until after
10 o'clock. when Chairman Lane
calleds the conference to order.
Groups Go Into Conference.
After roll call and the reading Of
a couple of resolutions in which no
one took any particular interest. the
labor group asked for the recess. All
three groups then went into. separate
Secretary Wilson sat with the labor
1t IL understood he pressed
approval OF the newest collective
resolution with tho trade
union group which has the utmost
confidence In him. A. report from the
labor meeting said that Mr.. Wilson
was using his Influence to prevent q
move suggested among these dele
gates that the labor group quit the
John Fitzpatrick, chairman of the
of twenty-four unions az
filiated with the steel industry, was
present at the conference. He had
come directly from Pittsburgh, heart
Of the steel strike. and said he was