The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1920-04-06
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
Dead, Aaainl
The Banners Correspondent
J. e. JoNE


laid the Peace Treaty to sleep will
do well to turn to those lines of Othel.
10 that read:
lago. "What. are thou hurt. lieu.
tenant?
Cassius. Ay, past all surgery"
Back on November 10. 1919, the
surgeons of the Senate pronounced
their patient dead. But the pulmotors
were used and there were signs Of
returning life; however the "nullify.
ing changes" proved positive bar.
rier against restoring the treaty to a
normal condition. The result has been
that after another month and day
OF Senate arguments, the stretcher
has finally carried the lifeless child
of Versailles to its parent at the
White House.
What will follow next is rather
problematical; but in Washington
the ether of space which Sir Oliver
Lodge says Is the most solid of all
substances has been fairly choked
with promises of Democrats and Itc.
publicans alike to tell the people of
the country why the "other fellows"
are to blame. Thus. the people them
as are the Senators upon the complex
selves are likely to become as expert
difficulties involved in the problems
Of bringing peace out OF war.
Industrial Conference Reports
The strike habit which grew into u
fad few months ago. has almost pas.
sed with the closing days of the win.
ter season, and the spirit in industry
no longer is revolving itself about
pugnacious doctrines that look to the
brutal methods of strikes for settling
controversies between employers and
! wage earners. Early last Fall, Presi.
dent Wilson summoned some Of the
leading employers and leading union
labor officials, including Judge Gary
of the Steel Corporation, and Mr..
Gompers of the American Federation
plan to insure peace among the peo.
pie employed In the Industrial world.
After few sessions the conference
broke up, for the old, old reason that
oil and water never mix.
Then came the second Industrial
Conference which has worked out
and submitted to the President an
bert Hoover, vice.chairman. of the,
entirely plausible plan which Her
conference says is founded upon 20
policy of get.togetheg for Joint settle
ment Of industrial Disputes based up
on American experience and designed
to meet American conditions" Com
pulsory arbitration, except in n limit.
ed form as applied to public utilities,
md unworkable as proved in the cas-.
has been abandoned as un.American
cs of Australia, New Zealand and
Canada. Collective bargaining Is
adopted in the report MS a policy.
The doubling Thomases who have
been prolific In their assertions that
no certain road to amity and peace
can be prescribed In industry over.
look the big point that was discover
cd by the Conference in making up
It's findings. The plan OF tho Confer
ence has been drawn from tho sue
cessful experiments in plant organiza-
tion for cooperation between employ
or and employees, which have been
worked out In various American in
dustries during the past few years
Everybody Is familiar with the old
saying the proof Of the pudding is In
tho eating, and tho Industrial Confer
ence has had the rare intelligence
that many other public commissions
have lacked, to find out what the
plans arc that have been tried in in
dividual instances which have proved
successful. "The Conference" says
Mr.. Hoover, felt that new Ameri-
can. basis OF industrial relationships
] has" developed in the past two or
three years in the widespread and
deliberate organization OF these rcla-
tions between employers and EN-.
ployes In many hundreds of establish.
ments throughout the country. on a
democratic basis, The great value OF
this arrangement Is that It cnlists the
cooperation Of employees In produc
tion and management. harmonizes
relations and settles disputes at the
source"
The report lays particular import
ance upon the necessity Of settling
disputes at their source, and In all ne
gotiations there Is full recognition
OF "employes representation" The
machinery set UP for the adjustment
, of disputes operates through board.
OF inquiry in different parts of th'
. country wit ha National lndustria
Board with headquarters in Washing
ton, consisting of nine members
threo representing industry, thre,