Evening star., 1920-03-21
REPORT SUGGESTS
MACHINERY TO GAIN
PEACE IN INDUSTRY
CONTINUED from First Page.)

parties at conflict may join the board
of inquiry on giving an undertaking
| that. so far as its side is concerned, 1T
will agree to submit it's contention to
| a regional adjustment conference, and,
| il both join, regional adjustment
conference is automatically created.
rs. The national Industrial board in
| Washington has general oversight of
| the working 0f the plan.
| 20 The plan is applicable also to
public utilities, but in such cases the
government agency. having power to
regulate the service, has two repre-
sentatives in the adjustment confer
ence. Provision is made for prompt
report of it's findings to the rate-regu-
lating body.
| Government Employees.
| az. The plan provides machinery for
prompt and fair adjustment of wages
and working conditions of govern
ment employees. 1t is especially neces-
Sary for this class of employees, who
should not be permitted to strike
S. The plan involves no penalties
other than those imposed by public
| opinion. 1t does not impose compuI-
sorry arbitration. 1t does not deny the
right TO strike. 1t does not submit to
arbitration the policy of the closed
or open shop"
The report gives the following ex-
| pianation of the plan as applied to
public employees;
| he applicable to public employees to
the extent and with the substantial
modiiicatons following. The Secretary
OF Commerce and the Secretary of Labor
acting together shall provide regional
panels of persons who are broadly
familiar with the different classes of
service performed by public employees
IL the region. If any state desires to
avail itself of this machinery, the
governor of the state shall name such
no pclS f..v-
question affecting the public employees
of that state
The regional adjustment conference
snail consist of two representatives
from the Legislative branch of the
government authorized by law to make
from that branch or department of the
government which is in the position of
employer. two representatives from
the employees in the class of public SER
vice in which the question arises, and
two members to be selected by the
representatives OF the employees from
the hrst twelve names on the general
panel.
"A regional adjustment conference
Shall be convened by the chairman on
The request of the administrative head
OF any department of the government
standing in the relation of employer,
or on the request of such asubstan-
tial number of the employees as to
satisfy the chairman that the question
is of sufficien- Importance to justify
the convening of a regional adjust
ment conference.
If the regional adjustment confer
ence reaches an agreement, its report
shall take the form of a recommends
ton TO the appropriate legislative
body, as basis for appropriations. If
the conference does not reach an
agreement. no report shall be made,
unless the legislative body shall re-
quest such report.
The appropriate governmental au-
thority shall, from time to time. desig-
nate the classes of public employees
which are to be subject to the plan.
In the case of public employees, there
snail be no board of inquiry, but all
material facts and information shall
De made available to the regional ad-
JuStment conference. There shall be
no appeal to the national Industrial
board. and no reference to an UNI
pire."
Two Sources of Opposition.
The idea of "employe representa-
tIon, the report says, has aroused op-
position from two sources, viz: EN-
ployers who still adhere to the the
ory that labor is a commodity, a view
which is said to be steadily disap-
pearing. and trade union leaders who
regard shop representation as a subtle
weapon directed against the unions
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 a
fad or panacea. 1t is only a means
rrvh hxa- -e.t.x 81
dealing and the establishment Of COM
mon interests may bring mutual ad-
vantage"
Relative to collective bargaining,
the conference 'sees in a frank ac-
ceptance OF this principle the most
helpful approach to industrial peace"
and states that it believes that the
great body of the employers Of the
country accept that principle. The
difference of opinion, it says, appears
in regard to the method of representa-
tion. Bargains of certain kinds be-
tween employers and employees do not
lend themselves readily to legal en-
forcement, and the conference there
fore expresses the belief that, for the
present at least, enforcement must
rest substantially upon good faith"
Regarding hours of labor, the COIL
ference states that experience has
demonstrated that they should be
fixed in industrial establishments "at
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 inter-
est 1T is fundamental that the basic
wages of all employees should be ade-
quate to maintain the employe and his
family in reasonable comfort and
with adequate opportunity for the
education of his children. When the
wages of any group fall below this
standard for any length of time the
situation becomes dangerous to the
wellbeing of the state''
As for profit sharing being regarded
as complete solution of industrial
problems, the conference says that
while it has promise in some direc-
tions. it cannot by itself be consid-
cred to be Of far-reaching effect.
Nevertheless" the report says, the
field is one in which sincere expert
ment may add a real knowledge of
desirable procedure"
Child Labor Problem.
Touching on the subject of child
10 hA far