The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-09-18
Manufacturers Offer Industrial Peace Plan
 To Solve Problem
MASON FORMULATES TERMS OF NON STRIKE AND NON-LOCKOUT ARNIISTICE
 BETWEEN EMPLOYERS AND WORK
 FRS TO PRESENT AT CONFERENCE.


 ing force 10 the industrial armistIce agreement, a joint committee, repre- seuting organized labor and orEauized industry, selected by the President from the groups attending the con ference, should be dolegated the duty of formulating the agreement tQCssi- bly along the principal lines set forth forth in the war time agreement which was the basis for the creation of the National War Labor Board) and cause the same 10 be presented in Congress for enactment (possi bly) in the form of Joint Resolution. de- claring such an agreement 10 be in the public interest and welfare.
 As two concrete suggestions for provisions which might be incor- porated in the agreement: CD organ ized industry ought to agree not to reduce wages during the life of the industrial arm3stice and to a, broad policy of liberal treatment of wage Carners as well as a blanket engage ment voluntarily to submit all mat ters Of difference, misundersraud- ing or dispute to d medium or arbi- E tratiOn hereinafter provided for; (2) organized labor ought 10 agree, dur ing the life of the armistce to q policy of non-interrupti3n of produc- ton, by pledging a national truce against strikes and general en- gagement voluntarily to submit all matters of dispute to a medium of arbitration hereinafter provided for.
 Tn order to provide the incscapa- hle means of arbitration required for the adjustment of many important and Eon-assignabIe rights of peaceful industrial disputes, it is further sug- gested that organized labor and or ganized industry respectively nonin- ate and elect seven members -four teen in alb of a National Industrial Ajustment Board, and the President of the United States to appoint one Cor not more than two) additional mem Der who must be acceptable tO and confirmed by a majority of the four teen members selected by labor and 1 industry. This Board ought. to be 1e- sally created (after sclCctiCn) and vested by act of Congress, to serve until the President shall have decIar- ed the period of readjustment at an | end, with adequate compensation pro vided by Federal appropriation so as to make possible the exclusive devo- ton of it's members to its work and have power eff necessary, by amend ing the existing antitrust Iaws) to
 
 matters, when once the contestants have voluntarily accepted their offices, possibly through presentation of evi- dence to Federal district attorneys for civil Cor even criminaD court action and penaEy; charging attempted tor 1 actUaD unlawful interruption or re- straint of production or transporta- ton of articles entering into or used for interstate commerce.
 ''It is further suggested that the agreement ought to contain a strongly worded provision pledging employers to give their employees an honest and generous day work, so that the pro- | cesses and facilities of our industrial production may be utilized to the full lest possible degree for the national benefit.
 "As an additional provision by or ganized industry, the agreement ought to contain the stated recognition or ! admission of the justice of labor's 1 claim that labor is not a commodity. Organized labor, on the other ! hand, ought to agree to a provision retractinE its public defiance of the | rights of the court 10 enjoin it and a direct refutation of the pernicuous | theory or doctrine that the less work 1 a man does the more work he pro- vides for others to do.'
 ''The outlined suggestion for a con- ! crete and timely program for the con 1 sideratiOn and action of the Indus | trial Conference,'' Mir. Mason says, in | conclusion, ''is easily capable of satis- i factory amendment or additional ela- ! bOratiOn- At any rate, it may afford | a rather broad, but tanglibIe basis for ! the guidance of President Wilson as ! representing the viewpoint of a vast l majority of the 5000 members of the | National Association of Manufactur- | CTS and give some evidence of their | sincere desire to cooperate in the | worthy purpose involved.
 ! of course, the success of the pro- 1 posed industrial arnistice. if the Con- J ference on October 9th should see fit ! to adopt it, is completely dependent upon Congress considering and enact [ ing only such legislation as may be ! completely in harmony with and pro motive of the spirit and purpose of | the agreement as well as the able ! support and encouragement of the | Chief Executive