Bisbee daily review., 1920-03-24

conference received from both em. 1 ployers and employees, clearly pro- ceed from genuine desire that the
 movement for democratic representa-
 tion as q substitute for direct per Sonal contact, may spread in accord
 ance with sound principles and be kept from perversion which would
 threaten the ideas lasting usefulness
 by making it an agency of attack
 rather than means to peace"
 The idea of employe representa- tion," the report says, has aroused opposition from two sources, viz En-
 ployers who still adhere to the theory 1 that labor is a commodity. a view which is said to be steadily disap- bearing and trade union leaders who regard shop representation as a sub- 1 tie weapon directed against the un- : ions.
 1 "Employe representation" the con ference says, offers no royal road to industrial peace. No employer should suppose that merely by installing some system of shop representation he can be assured without continued effort. of harmony and increased pro- duction. Doubtless there will be fail ures where the plan is adopted as l fad or q panacea. It is only a means whereby Sincereity of purpose, frank dealing and the establishment of com mon interests. may bring mutual ad- vantage"
 Relative to collective bargaining, the conference "sees i'll a frank ac- ceptance of this principle the most helpful approach to industrial peace" great body of the employers of the
 country accept that principle. The difference of opinion, it says, appears in regard to the method of repreSen- tation. Bargains of certain kinds be-
 tween employers and employees do not lend themselves readily to legal enforcement and the conference therefore expresses the belief that,
 for the present at least, enforcement
 must rest substantially upon good
 faith"
 Regarding hours Of labor, the con ference states that experience has
 demonstrated that they should be
 fixed in industrial establishment "at a point consistent with the health of
 the employees and with proper oppOr-
 tunity for rest and recreation, there
 being in all cases provision for one days rest in seven"
 The conference further finds that from the standpoint of public interest it is fundamental that the basic wages of all employees should be ad- equate to maintain the employe and his family in reasonable comfort and with adequate opportunity for the ed ucation of his children. When the wages of any group fall below this standard for any length of time, the situation becomes dangerous to the we'll being of the state" As for profit sharing being regarded as a complete solution of industrial prob it has promise in some directions, it cannot by itself. beconsidered to be the report says, the field is one in which sincere experiment may add a real knowledge of desirable proceed ure."
 Touching on the subject of child labor. the conference says sheer pro- hibition of child labor is at best, only 1 a negative attack uopn the problem. It is not thoroughly effective in pro- noting the economic welfare of the l nation unless the time spent by the ! child in industry is devoted to ade- quate schooling and to activity which | will develop his physical we'll being" ! The report announces the Startling" | fact that of the 5,516,163 illiterate per ! sons over ten years of age in the ! United States, more than 6S per cent i were native born. Attention is call ! ed to the fact that the federal gov | ernment up to the present makes no i