Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-12-29
THE CHURCH AND LABOR

TIME committee OF the federated churcheS,
i Of which DIR. Batten Is chairman, did
at least courageous thing when, In frank
and unmistakable terms, it expressed oppo-
sition to the movement in industry which
the members think has been organized to
weaken or cripple the American Federation
of Labor.
The question at issue between the general
masses of employing and employed groups Is
too complex to be clearly stated in any brief
summary. but the principle enunciated by
the church committee is one that cannot be
too often stated and restated In the interest
of the country and it's individual citizens.
There will BE- ground for general com
plaint and a growing sense Of bitterness
and disillusionment in many minds IL one
group Of citizens is permitted 10 claim and
enjoy rights which are denied to others. II
employers are to be allowed to organize in
special groups they will hardly be consistent
IL they deny the right Of organization to
employees. I'ut to recognize this aspect OF
the case is not by any means TO state the
whole case as il now stands.
Employees and employers alike in special
instances have manifested a disposition to
use the power Of their organizations ruth.
lessly and with little regard for the interests
Of the unorgnnizcd man. In any Just con-
sideration Of the movement to attack labor
unionism 1t is necessary to remember that
labor men themselves have been familiar
with the tactics that they now denounce.
They tried TO break up the owners organi-
zations in industry, just as the owners seem
now intent on breaking up theirs. That was
the essential aim and purpose of the Plumb
plan. II vas the aim OF the clothing work
ers in New York who are now in the thick
of bitter fight with the employers groups.
The clothes makers unions gave impartial
observers good reason to believe that they
were planning systematically to take control
of the manufacturing business from the own
ers and give it almost wholly into the hands
Of shop committees Of the trades unions.
That. Of course. does not Justify a proposal
to return the clothing business TO the old
sweat shop basis. But II shows that the
causes Of industrial strife continue TO be
obsrured far below the surface of every CON
ventional dispute and that few people ever
take the trouble to look for them.
way to peace between employers and
employees was outlined clearly by Mr.. Hoover
and his associates in the second industrial
conference at Washington. That conference
not only recognized the right Of both groups
to organize for collective bargaining. 1t
actually made the employers and employees
organizations the basis Of logical plan for
the settlement Of industrial disputes without
any Of the waste and hardship Of strikes.
Inc WOrkeTS III industry anu tHe ONHerS
were viewed as potential electors privileged
to elect representatives to joint conferences
which. functioning under federal supervision.
might in turn send any badly snsrled case to
a high court in Washington for final ad
judication.
The beauty Of this plnn was that II could
bring to each discussion the understanding
Of owners and workers alike and to ilumi-
nate each question as II arose with knowl-
edge gained at first hand in the shop or in
the office. 1t was n plan that certainly
should have led to the much needed better
mutual acquaintance Of the employer and the
cmploye. Neither the trades unions nor the
employers organizations nor Congress took
the proposal very seriously. Meanwhile the
old war between capital and labor is hring
renewed and no one seems to have realized
that weakening trades unionism will merely
open the way to n triumph Of sorts for the
moro radical organizations which hitherto
have received little OF no encouragement from
the workInen Of the United States. For the
habit Of organization is one Of our national
characteristics. and IL men do not hand to-
Grther under one sort of leadership they will
inevitably band together under another sort