Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-02
LABOR ARBITRATION
By|NDUSTR|AL CODE
PROPOSED BY COX
Democratic Nominee Pledges
Repeal of Excess Profits
Tax If Elected.
PLANS TO CHECK H. c. L.
BY PROFITEERING LAWS
Governor Sets Forth Domestic Pro-
gram in Answers to Questions
Submitted bv interviewer.
BY DUNCAN AIkMAN.
.c;,, p;s,a,cb to The Star.


EN- ROUTE WITH GOV. cox, Octo-
Der "A democratic administrator
in 1921 will stand for the repeal o1
the excess profits tax an the enact
ment of anti-profiteering laws as
means of checking the high cost OF
living: for the establishment of FED
eral system of Industrial arbltrat1oI
based on an Industrial code whicf
shall set forth the minimum rights OF
labor and capital in lndustrlai con-
troversy These facts were learned
this week when the following queS-
tions were submitted to Gov James
NJ Cox of Ohio. democratic candidate
for the presidency.
What could your administration dc
to solve practically the problem ol
the high cost of living9
What practical means would your
administration adopt to better the re-
lations between capital and labor?
Cox Answers Fully.
"I am glad to answer these ques-
fions concretely and fully" declared
Gov. Cox after, he had given them a
study of several hours, because these
are matters in which. as Governor OF
Chic. / have taken an interest only
secondary to- my interest in winning
the war. Moreover, these are subjects
which. during this campaign. despite
the overshadowing consequence OF
our fight for the league of nations, l
have given constant and constantly
increasing attention.
.I feel justified in the time l have
spent in their consideration. because
on the way in which I answer them,
on the way in which my administra-
tfon writes my answers into the law
of the land and the execution of the
law, depends my record and my par
g..
we do not answer them right and ap-
ply our solution concretely and ef-
fectively, we shall not be dealing fair
1y with the average American. now
suffering from the conditions which
haye prompted these questions. and'if
man we are not progressive.
But first of all. l would roll both
questions into one. When you ask
me what / would do to better rela-
tions between capital and labor, you
are asking me how We are going to
create a condition favoring greater
production and better rewards for
production, condition tending to
solve the cost of living problem from
its most fundamental angle. Why
don't you ask just this: How will a
Cox administration make life easier
economically for the average man;
] think you will agree that everything
l have to say will come under that
head.
And Just because production is the
fundamental factor in the high cost
oflivifg problem, l am going to take
up your question about lettering re-
lations Of capital and labor first.
Those relations must be bettered
We must put more mutual confidence
into them, whole lot more conf
dence. before we can get the volume
of production that this war-depleted
world needs. Labor won't throw its
full energy into production today
capital won't put its shoulder to the
wheel. because in general way
throughout America each is suspect
more than it's fair share of the re-
wards of production. and because
neither can see in any of the exist
ing agencies of arbitration valid
guarantee of a square deal.
ITO relieve this situation l would
as President do all in my power to
secure from Chicago the action
necessary to establish federal
agency for getting at the facts in in
dustrial controversies. This agency
would be charged with the duty OF
reporting these facts to the publlc
but without recommendation. In this
way, as / see it, we can arrive at last
10 the situation where public opinion
will be the arbiter of industrial con
troversy. as in the last analysis II
always should be.
Based ON Certain Rights.
The operations of this agency
should be based on certain genera
principles of industrial rights which
/ hold should form the basis of all in
dustrial agreement. These are not, OF
the whole new principles. They were
written in the labor code OF the League
of nations at the first meeting of the
leagues world labor body They have
been advocated in their general form
by the leaders of progressive economic
thought in America.
The federal agency which / men
tion should consider above all in it!
investigations whether in industria
relations there had been any abroSa
tion of:
10 The right of both capital ant
labor to organize.
CD The right of capital to a fai
(3J The right of labor to a living
wage.
H) The right of collective bargain
ing.
(5) The right of labor to a voice il
the control of industry.
co The requirement of both labo
and capital to fulfil their contract OBJ
legations.
% The right of labor to reasona BIZ
working hours and conditions.
go The right of women to receiv
equal pay for equal services perform
ed by them.
(s) The right of the public to pro
lection from consequences of indus
trial controversy, threatening it's Sc
curity or vital welfare.
Basis of Industrial Code.
These principles would form tn
basis of the American Industrial code
The importance of their adoption
would lie not SO much in the effect OF
the comparatively small number o
cases handled by the federal agent
for industrial investigation, but in tn
fact that the prestige of the fedora
government would without doub
make these principles operative with
in a comparatively short time in al
Of the forty-eight states.
"In my opinion these principle
would accomplish what is needed
Fairly applied. they would assure an
insure both capital and labor a susar
deal in America, would guarante
that the prosperity built up by thei
mutual efforts would be passe
around Such conference woul
stimulate both parties to work to
gether for more and yet more pros
perity by the simple method of in
creasing production.
There would be no question @
prosperity then in my opinion. Wit
Americas entrance into the league @
nations following as the direct sequ,
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