Evening journal., 1920-11-08
THE HIGH COST or STRIKES
What Are We Going To Do About IT?


lions, and because OF the special de- |
gree or public injury which would re |
suit through any mlsmanagement |
nave been largely taken out OF the |
neld OF ordinary business competition |
and surrounded by both special privl- |
leges and special restrictions The |
man today who goes into, or puts his |
money into. such an enterprise does |
80 with the full knowledge OF these |
conditions.
There is no reason why In the same
way, because OF the special injury To-
the public through strikes In such
nelds, that the labor In such Indus
tries should not be granted special
privileges and also be specially re-
stricted as regards strikes.
But strikes In the building Industry,
in the coal industry, In the steel n
dustry and In many other Industries
which have never been specially clas-
sitled as public service have piled up
tremendous costs TO the public. To
put all such Industries under this spe-sl
cial classification and withdraw them
from The Held OF ordinary business
competition involves so many compll-
cations that to do it suddenly might
be most unwise. To Withdraw the
relations between capital and labor in
all fields from a competitive basis
and arbitrarily determine them by jul
dlcial decision would be even FAR
mores radical. Only the fact that II
alone could protect public interest
would warrant such a step
Canada has gone a considerable dis
lance along these lines, but has care
fully avoided going to extremes, in
the so-called MacKenzle-King plan for
adjusting labor disputes. Under this
plan strikes and lock6uts are prohib-
tied until the matter under dispute
has been passed upon by an official
tribunal. The official Tribunal con-
sists OF three iudges-one chosen by
the employer, one by the employees
and one by the government. The fact
That the judges are specially chosen
in each case guards against their
bolng influenced by political consider
ations, which might De the case with
a permanent.court These judges have
full power TO subpoena Witnesses and
compel testimony. They cannot en-
force verdict. but they make a com
! the controversy and public opinion
is depended upon to do the rest. The
| plan is simple, obviously fair and has
worked in Canada with great ell
clency. It could be adapted TO Amer
/ ican conditions quickly with a mini
mum Of complications, and il is hard
/ to see on what grounds even the most
radical OF labor could logically Op-
pose it.
There are two other simple logical
lines along which public action could
be taken TO materially reduce the
number and cost OF strikes.
In all other fields OF industry ex-
ccpt that Of labor. established organi-
cations that WELD power are. as a
matter OF course, forced by law to
er. II an individual, a partnership or
a corporation handles money, enters
into contracts or takes other action
that affects other people, it must ac-
count for that money in a definite
prescribed way; II must keep its con-
tracts or stand suit at law; it mus
! regulate I'm a prescribed way its ac-
tiOns that affect others or must pay
, damages for not so regulating them
Great labor organizations handle
2 tremendous sums OF money, Otter
running into tens Of millions OF dol
! lars, and they often use this none!
not only absolutely without regarI
5 but absolutely contrary too public in
y baBest and Oftel not only absOlutel!
z without regard but absolutely con
D trary to the best interests OF tn
r members Of their organizations. La
e Dor ORGANIZATIONS enter into contract
e. and break them without scruplC
, often with immense loss not only 4
3 the other party TO the contract bu
+, to the great injury OF the public.
5 There is, in general, absolutely M
l reason in logic or justice why a labO
organization should not, under tn
, law, be forced to accept the responsi
$ bility for its acts just as every othe
l corporation or private citizen
forced TO do. The fact that labor lead
5 ers, particularly in the last few years
- have taken the most unscrupulOu
advantage OF their exemption from
S such responsibility and used ihpi
special privileges which the publ
. has allowed the mas a weapon TO in
- jure the public only emphasizes On
- fundamental dangers OF the uncOnsti
- tutiOnal, un-American fallacy OF al
- lowing any special privilege 10 an
n special class. Certainly no hOnos
a worker, after the experience Of th
G last two years, can logically object t
n a national adoption Of simple legisla
e tiOn that would put labor organiza
G tiOns on the same basis OF responsi
{. bility for their acts as every Othe
z CORPORATION or individual.
N There is another very simple loglcS
e expedent along the same line whic
J. would undoubtedly work trenendou.
lly to prevent the biggest, most cost
N OF all our strikes-those which hay
n been due 10 the personal ambitions {
,r labor leaders and 10 labor chauvinisi
Ia and that is 10 withdraw from lahC
a organizations their special privilege
A, and exemptions under the Sherma
10 antitrust law.
10 The purpose OF the Sherman ant
ID trust law was TO prevent the pOssihl
ID lty OF such a control by selfish inie
n- ests, either through ownership or Sp
It, lcial agreement, over the productiC
ie In any line as could shut on ih
a. production or curtail IL or otherwl,
D. artiilcially raise prices for the ben
IS lt OF such controlling interest al
n against the interest OF the public. n
re Sherman antitrust law was dinecl,
he against great corporations, becau
p they at that time were the only lnte
Is. ests that Threatened such an artlnci
IS control In industry. In order 10 be
tn effective as possible against gre
IS corporations, the law was made
ld drastic and sweeping as possible.
be order that its sweeping and drasi
er provisions might not Interfere W
agricultural and y labor organization
n which were not at that time regard
r. as having any tendency toward IN
c- nOpoly in industry. these two typ
st, OF organization wereA specifically e
We empted from The operation OF IN
ng law
H. But great labor organizations tods
Iat as has already been shown and el
M phasized, are doing exactly what I
no great trusts were attempting to do
$50 rrnnnWl lion rrn - 81