The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-10
SEE CHANCE THAT
STEEL STRIKE MAY
Blended MEET
Proposal to Bring Matter Up
Before Capital, Labor and
Public Delegates Finds Gary
Silent, But Rest Working.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
The News SclmItar's Special Core.
Rpondenf-

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10.-All the
PROGRESS in the Industrial peace confer
enee has not been, and probably will not
be, on the surface. Particularly is his
true OF the big steel strike. So long as
Judge Ebert H. Gary, head Of the steel
corporation, sets at the table rep
~resenting the public, and high-sound-
ing principles aiming to prevent strikes
between employers and employees are
proclaimed the substance of which are
being denied In actual practice by the
steel corporation, labor isn't likely to
take seriously the professions of the in
dustrial conference itself.
80, more or less as a test Of the sin
certify and practicability of the confer
ence, Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor really
presented a test when he asked that the
Industrial conference now meeting to
appoint a committee Of two from each
OF the three groups at the conference
capital, labor and the public-to whom
should be referred existing differences
in the steel industry for adjudication
and settlement" and hat pending the
outcome of such conference all workers
be requested to return to work and the
employers be asked to reinstate them.
Gary Is Silent.
Judge Ebert Gary heard the resolu-
ton read, but made 10 comment. Later
on, e asked by reporters, he declined
TO say anything But the fact is one
is justified in being optimistic that a
settlement of the steel strike will come
out sof the present industrial confer
ence, for Judge Gary is constantly in
the company of people who are politely
and persuasively urging him to consider
the general situation in the Country and
the necessity of showing a more concil-
iatory disposition in the strike contro-
Versy. Being surrounded by persons
Of In fIfVnnna NvhAun a,,Iw-,apA NJ, 49,,
certainly respects, the tenor of their in
formal comments is bound to be conta-
gious n inspiring.
Some there were like DR.. Charles W.
Eliot, former president of Harvard uni
versity, who doubted whether pending
controversies or even old bases of
a~ntagonism should be considered. Rath-
err he believed that a new order, a new
set of relations should be set up and
that possibly present difficulties in spe-
citic5 cases should not be considered as
germane to the conference of the labor
group together with a rather radical
speech from l.. E. Sheppard, president
Of the Railway Conductors, who talked
about profit sharing and participating
in management in everything from the
wholesaler to the middleman and the
retailer. His doctrine was, however,
Individual and did not reflect the views
Of the American Federation Of Labor's
representatives.
Mr.. Sheppard said at the outset that
he was presenting his own personal
views, He was particularly disturbed
that the employers group didn't have
their proposals ready, but Thomas l.,
Cha1bourne, of the public group, put his
finger or the difficulty when he sug-
gested that over night the interests Of
the employers couldn't be harmonized in
a single document, and that for his part
he had come to the conference with a
plentiful supply of patience.
Nevertheless other representatives Of
the public's group prodded the employ
ers to- keep busy and perfect their plans.
John Spargo seems to think there was
something wrong with the rules and
that subcommittee should be appointed
to which Chairman Lane replied that
already authority to make such a sub
division Of tasks existed in the commit
tee eid5.
Process Started.
DIR. Eliot, of Harvard, had an idea,
too, that perhaps the conference had
gotten off on the wrong foot by keep
ing three distinct groups instead Of
harmonizing and Gaven McNabb, OF
California, jokingly remarked that he
favored "unionizing" the conference,
whereupon Mr.. Chadbourne again in
sisted that 1t would be miraculous If