Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-01-09

ANOTHER TRY FOR INDUSTRIAL PEACE
The Presidents Industrial Commission, re-
assem- bling on January IL, will find that the
press has responded generously to the re-
quest for constructive criticism" of It's re-
cent tentative" report The plan of volun-
tary arbitration proposed in the report Tor
the settlement of industrial disputes, the
indianapolis News Qnd.) point out, lis not
presented as a solution Of the labor prob
lem, but only as practical approach to the
problem 1t is adds the Washington
Post (Ind.), ga plant tentative in form and
intended merely as the framework for the
completed structure" while the New York
Herald CInd.) gives the scheme mild praise
as "a sedative, not a cure" for our indus
trial ills.
In general, encouragement is given to the
work believing, with the Salt Lake Tele-
gram (Ind.) that 1.-The general public must
be protected from drastic action on the part
of either capital or labor or both" Although
the Chicago Daily News Ind.) admits that
it is not "likely that any wave of enthusiasm
will follow the conclusion Of its work and
compel the general acceptance of its IDEAS
it is confident that the reporting OF a SOUND
plan of labor adjustment will eventually
compel recognition by Legislators, employ
ers, labor leaders and influential citizens"
And to the Sacramento Union (Rep.) the
question is merely Shall law reign in in
dustry?" which the conference report
answers by taking first step towards a
comprehensive concrete plan for the esta5-
lishment of reign of law" in relations be-
tween employer and employe. eff interna-
tional must go, SO also must industrial
wars cease say the Denver Rocky Noun
tain News CInd)
Adverse criticisms of the whole scheme
are few although Idaho Statesman CRep')
thinks the conference will find that it docs
World (Dem) cannot find that this re-
port sheds any light whatever on this
fundamental question of the right rela-
tionship between employer and employee
Extreme labor papers like the New YORK
Call (Soc) see in the whole plan a deliber-
ate attempt to "enchain labor" and their
point of view is partly upheld by Samuel
Gompers and other A. Of l.. leaders who
point out that the plan is unacceptable to
labor because of it's failure to accord pre-
dominance to labor organizations on the
employees side of the tripartite arbitration
boards But the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
lind, DEM thinks "the secret of Mr.. Com
pers' opposition is that under the proposed
plan the strike will lose caste as an lnstru-
ment of persuasion To meet the LABOR
leaders opposition, it is pointed out tnaC
an award by and board is not binding unless
unanimous. But this feature of the plan
in the eyes of the Memphis Commercial APP
peal (Dem.) is "the weakness of the whole
arrangement" This paper considers unani-
nifty almost IMPOSSIBLE and declares that
unless we can contriVe some tribunal that
has power of enforcing its DEGREES in indus
trial disputes we might just as well let mat
ters rock along as they are" and the Sioux
City Journal (Rep.) sees no hope of agree
ment "litigants sitting on the jury to try
their own cases."
This objection was foreseen by the Spring
field Republican Qnd.), whose ealtor' MI
Richard Hooker, was member OF the con-
ference Admitting that 'if both the regional
boards and national tribunals fail OF I'M
animity in more than a small proportion Oh
cases, the whole system fail" the Republican
calls attention to the fact that great num-
Der OF industrial disputes during the past
few years have been successfully arDltrated'
and that there is tendency to unanim1ty
because chose who become temporarily a
part OF the machinery of adjustment have an
incentive to arrive at unanimous decisions
as matter of self-justfcation.'
PRESIDENT WILSON'S AILMENT
According to this Authoritative" state