New-York tribune., 1919-03-28
Pathbreaking
BY Chester M. Wright


1t is too early to predict what will come
out of these councils. The original idea
1as that they would stabilize industry by
making justice in industry more getatable.
The strong unions say they do not need
councils of any knd-they are satisfied with
the existing machinery. Newly formed or
CARNATIONS frequently show great enthu-
siasm for the Whitley plan.
What is chiefly signfed is growing de-
sire to find a peaceful method of settling
disputes.
However, what is happening is what
always happens. Those who have great
strength do not wish to give UP what they
have. Strong unions have no need For new
machinery And, the other hand, en-
ployers have no desire to voluntarily give
workers any more voice in the conduct Of
industry Great latitude is given in the
matter of constitutions, and this clause is
frequently perverted in individual cases
The whole process is regarded in the most
thoughtful quarters a cropping in the dark
something may be discovered, and some
thing may not be-
But all of this process of getting together
in councils and congresses and tak-fests is
significant of desire, on both sides of the
fence to find process by which industrial
operation may be made continuous through
democratic methods.
It may all fzzle it may develop into
something servceable. The whole field is
one of experimentation. There is no magic
robe which America may bring home to
cover American troubles. There is some
thing worth watching-that is about all
There has been great ado about the shop
stewards. And they were a noisy lot But
they are on the toboggan.
SHOP stewards came into prominence dur
ing the when the Defence of the Realm
act deprived the regular trade union officials
of much of their power-especally their
power of aggression
The trade union officials were responsible
men. They had to be. Among other things.
they had charge of large funds. They
couldn't violate the law.
The shop stewards had no sponsiblities
They had no funds. They could violate the
law-and they did. SO they became the
leaders in all aggressive moves They went
,, to the point Of forming an association of
shop stewards And they were just at the
point of devising ways of getting money
when the armistce came along
with the end Of the war the regular union
officials began to regain their normal powers.
The shop steward movement went into a
decline. 1t is there yet-and more so all
the time
The principal weakness Of The shop stew
nrds movement vas that the stewards had
no money They wcrc-as was natural-an
extremist lot. But they have had their day.
English labor is through with them, unless.
OF course, the present trend back toward
sanity Is lost in some conyusvc shuffIc and
the whole thing goes Bolshcvik.
Looming above all national proposala for
getting together is the international PROPOSE
ton that comes out Of Paris Samuel Com
pcrs is the president Of Commission on
international Labor Legislation appointed BY
the peace conference and TO which it will
report and recommend.
lhcre are fifteen members Of this com
mission. They have decided to recommend
the calling Of world industrial congress.
to be held Immediately after the peace con-
terence adjourns sine die. This will bring
together into dcliberatvc session organized
workers and organized employers from all
over the world. They will look each other
in the eye and talk business.
Also, they will probably find out lot OF
good things about each other that were
never suspected before. Perhaps some ugly
Things, too Anyway, they viii find out
th1ngs OF some sort, which is always good.
rms world congress should bring out tho
best thought of the whole industrial world
Surely it is pivinp q n1ace +o ;,d,stx 49,
industry has never hcld-and a place to the
issue between capital and labor that this
issue has never held
The commission over which Mr. Comper.
presldes Will set up the machinery for call
ing this congress and will, so far as Dos
sible, set before it definite questions for
discussion.
"A permanent international labor bureau
also IS to be provided, which will have, as
part OF its work, the execution of such de-
crecs as the congress may adopt
These arc some Of the Old World cur
rents in the realm of labor They are not
things about which to rave joyously and
unthinkingly. Nobody of serious mind who
is in close touch with them would think of
acclaim inning them as world savers They are
big movements that are worth close and
serious attention and deep thought That
implies honest criticism, which no valid
claim need fear. The test must be whether
they will serve to advance the cause of ius-
tce, defeat organized insanity and keen the
world moving in an orderly, democratic
course toward progress.