Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-13
in Labor
Conference FizzLes
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Continued From Page One
ficult industrial situation due to the
shortage of coal has discouraged addi-
tional strikes. Labor is sobered by
many failures. particularly the almost
universal failure of its more radical
leaders. The public has been sobered
by the failure Of the injunction, One
no longer hears, at least in Washing
ton, the popular cry of few weeks ago
'Let us fight this thing out to the bitter
end now" The fight in the coal strike
has gone not to the bitter end but to a
compromise in which the government
has yielded almost every point. And
the public accepts the result compla
Gently.
Wilson Loses Political Asset
Circumstances and Mr.. Gompers
himself have done for Mr.. Gompers
what President Wilson with his plan
of putting wages on different foot
ing" and with his industrial conferences
failed to accomplish. Mr.. Gompers is
servative. he has ceased, however,
to be an ally and political asset of
President Wilson. The combination is
broken.
The conference which was called in
a moment of insanity meets in one Of
comparative sanity. What will Mr..
Gompers do with his conference? Anti
strike legislation, such as In Mr. Cum
mins's bill, will receive n good deal of
attention. Labor recognizes that 1t has
q new problem to deal with in the
growth Of the belief that the public
interest is paramount In certain indus
trial disputes and that this restricts the
right to stop work collectively, as the
administration sought to deny the right
Of the soft coal miners RS an organiza-
tion to quit work. The failure Of the
injunction against the soft coal strik
ers makes that issue n little more aca-
demic than it seemed to be a short time
ago, but still organized labor regards
this new conception of the paramountcy
of the public interest as the biggest dan
ger that confronts it.
This anti strike question will re-
ceive much attention. The utmost effort
will be made TO prove that anti strike
legislation fails everywhere just as the
Injunction failed in the coal strike.
choice of the administration which
tested the injunction in q highly organ
lied industry and at the same time one
extremely unresponsive to public opin-
ion. The federation leaders expect fur
ther resorts to the injunction and the
injunction judges will come in for sharp
denunciation.
Railroad Wages Next Big Issue
The high cost of living will occupy
the time of the convention. The rail-
road unions agreed to postpone their
demands for higher wages until the ad-
ministration had had an Opportunity
to reduce the cost of living. The ad-
ministration has had its opportunity
and failed 1t has, in fact. made no
genuine effort to reduce the cost of liv-
ing. In fact, its mishandling of the coal
strike has checked production and this
contributed to an advance in the cost of
living, while itself has recognized the
necessity for an advance in prices of
coal, one of the underlying Industrial
products and also Of wages in that in
dustry. The conference will be used
to put the case for an advance in wages
to the railroad workers. which is the
next big industrial issue before the
country
Politically though, the alliance with
the Democratic party is broken. no
recognition of the new labor party will
be encouraged. There will doubtless be
many persons present who favor the
labor party movement. But officially
the A. f. of l.. is against associating
itself with it. 1t is nonpartisan. And
there is at least as strong a movement
within this organization for triple
alliance with the Farmers Non
partisan League and the CO. operative
movement as there is for labor party.
The triple alliance, II formed. will be
non partisan.
There will doubtless be radical utter
ances, including a demand for the gov
ernment ownership of railroads. Labor
always talks radically. But the con =
servatives are masters of the situation.