The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1920-01-02

OPPOSITION TO ANTI
STRIKE CLAUSE PROVES
NEED OF ENACTMENT

STRIKE CLAUSE PROVES
NEED OF ENACTMENT
Washington, Dec. SO.-The Repub-
lican Publicity Association, through
its President, Hon. Jonathan Bourne,
Jr., today gave out the following
statement from its Washington Head
quarters:
"The Anti-strike clause of the Cum
Minis railroad bill presents very
simple and clearly defined question
whether the public interest in trans
portation shall be protected or shall
be constantly menaced by the possibi-
lity of interruption of service. 1t may
be admitted, as claimed by labor union
-spokesmen, that there is slight dam
ger of a general railroad tie-up for
any considerable period of time.
That there will not be such suspen-
sion of railroad operation can not be
asserted by the labor unions, however,
in view of the definite threat made in
1916 that general strike would be
called at certain hour on specified
day unless the demands of the en-
ployees should be met. The four
brotherhoods demonstrated that rail
tie-up is a grave possibility from
which the nation may suffer in loss of
comfort, convenience, property, and
life.
"The very fact that labor unions
protest against enactment of the an
ti-strike provision is evidence enough
that whenever it suits their pleasure,
they will strike to enforce their de-
mands. The protest Of the unions
against the provision should cause the
rest of the people to insist upon its
enactment for protection of their own
rights and the welfare of the nation.
Even though a strike may never be
called, the possibility of strike is a
constant menace which every business
man must consider in every under
taking and in every contract he may
make. That uncertainty is one of the
hazards of every business that de-
pends upon transportation for its con-
tinuance.
"But aside from the purely CONNER
cial interest of the nation in unbroken
y railroad transportation, there is the
fundamentally more important consid-
I erati0n that a strike lis an unjust
means of settling a dispute. In an
enterprise so vitality important as
transportation, a strike is nothing
more nor less than application of
force. 1t is entirely with the truth to
say that in 1916 the four brother
hoods held pistol to the head of
Congress and commanded enactment
of desired legislation. More effective
intimidation could not be devised
that the threat to interrupt transpor-
tation of supplies, thus stopping all
the wheels of industry and bringing
suffering, starvation and death to in
habitants of cities.
"Force in the form of strike is no
more appropriate as a method of set
ting disputes than is force in the
form of physical violence. The Cum
Minis bill proposes a better remedy
1t provides for establishment of COM
mittees on wage adjustments with au-
thority to take testimony and adjudi.
cate controversies, thus arriving at q
4 fair judgment as between the EN-.
4 ployees and the public. Every rail.
way controversy is in reality between
the employees and the public, for ir
the final analysis the public pays the
wage.
"The Cummins bill not only assures
an equitable system of settling wage
disputes, but expressly preserves tn,
individual right to quit railroad EN-
ployment for any cause, with the sin
gle reservation that there shall be n,
conspiracy to interfere with interstat,
commence--a strike. Under the Cum
Minis bill, every railroad employe,
would be at full liberty to cease hi,
employment whenever he could secur,
better wages or more agreeable worl
elsewhere, or evn If he desired t,
cease work entirely. The only pur
pose of the anti-strike provision is t,
impose upon railroad employees tn,
same obligation that is imposed upol
railroad owners-continuous transpor
tation service. Whenever employee
are given the right to strike to fore,
payment of higher wages, it will b.
: proper to give owners the right t,
suspend traffic to force payment O
: higher rates. One privilege is just a
reasonable and just and absurd as tn
(, other"
SECRET AUTHORITY