Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-05-15
POLICY Of OPEN
SHOP FAVORED BY
HEhvl%<>:. :, y!!lvER
Principle of IndiVIGt.
dom Requires Such rrS
Legal Repression Can't
Settle Disputes.
tsr soRs,so JoussAL s.se,AL Lr,srD wrAs,

lbN AoHNtN0 JOURNAL sStCtAL LHAetp NlhHl
Washington, May 14.-"The
principle of individual freedom re-
quires the open shop Herbert
Hoover declared today IN testify
ing before the senate labor commit
tee at hearings on proposed legis-
latiOn for the settlement of indus.
trial unrest.
Mr.. Hoover, who was a member
of President Wilson's second in
dustrial conference, said he did not
believe the relationship between
employers and employees could be
settled by any form of legal re-
preston. whether II be by injun2-
ton, compulsory arbitration or in.
duatrial courts,
fundamentals" he declared,
"all such effort leads inevitably to
the use of iails as a solution for
disputes az to respective partict-
patton of labor and capital in in
dusual profits and proceeds swift
ly toward compulsory, labor, or
compulsory wages, or martyrdom.
mo one doubts that the modern
consolidation of the employers over
large units of employees gives every
justification ana right for the or
ganization of the employees sini-
larly into units for the eXertion al
equality in bargaining power
Such organization has a right TO
present its own representatives in
bargaining. on the other hand
there should be no compulsion to-
ioin such an organization, The
principle of individual freedom re-
Quires the open shop
Mr.. Hoover heartily approved
the plan of the second Industrial
conference for voluntary settlement
of labor troubles through cooper
ative agreement.
Senator Jones, democrat, of New
Mexico, wanted to know II labor
had not been disturbed by excess
sive profits.
ut has" replied Mr. Hoover
"hut II is difficult to say how far
this has helped to cause Industrial
unrest, now with the rising cost of
living, There Is no question as TO
the enormous increase In profits
but what weigh is to be gwen this
REQUIRES very careful attention,
There has been a big increase IN
profits over the cost of labor but
! cannot say as to proportion,
on the question Of strikes. Mr.
Hoover said a distinction sho Nd be
drawn between conditions in TINS
country and Europe, declaring that
strikes for political ends had been
resorted to In Europe, which had
caused unnecessary alarm In TINS
country.
"There has heen no taint Of such
strike order in this country ne de-
clared. mo Gttempt has been
made by leaders of organized Ia
hor in the United states to over
ride the ballot, and labor leaders
have discouraged that use. There
seems to be misapprehension as
TO whether the strike may develop
into a political weapon. But Ger
tainly that has not been the case
in the United ST. tes.'
MIR. Hoover thought 1t was al
most impossible to lcgislate asI
hours of labor Wages. he said,
should take into account the cost
of necessities, savings and the en-
ioyment of all benefits of the civ
iliZation of the time.
Senator Phipps, republican, OF
Colorado, called attention to the
bonus paid employees by many in
dustrial enterprises and to reports
that labor leaders felt it should be
discouraged.
"In actual practice of the opera
ton of the various devices they fell
into two general classes-sharing
of profits and sharing OF savings,
Mr., Hoover said. ut is difficult to
reach fair basis of settlement.
The occasional misuse of the sys-
tenn has led to the opposition of or
ganized labor.
"If profit sharing is to be based
on the conception that wages are
to be Just and that profits are TO
be an addition to pay, then ltI
would be in proper form, but not
when used as a weapon to hold
down a mans pay. The intangible
agitation in industrial life concerns
the question of division of sur
plus, not the question that em-
ployers want to manage the busi-
ness"