The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-12-07

namely, provision authorizing pro-
claimed American valuation, under
prescribed conditions, on any given
list of articles imported.
In this proposed flexibility au-
thorizing increase to meet conditions
so likely to change, there should also
be provision for decreases. A rate
may be just today and entirely out of
proportion six months from today. II
our tariffs are to be made equitably
and not necessarily burdensome upon
imports and hinder our trade abroad.
frequent adjustment will be neces-
sary for years to come. Knowing the
impossiblity of modification by act
of Congress for any one or a score
of lines without involving a long ar
ray of schedules, I think we shall go
long way towards sterilization II
there is recognition of the tariff COM
missions fitness to recommend ur-
gent changes by proclamation"
Labor Question
Concerning the labor question tba
President said:
w nile this set of problems is COM
, monty comprehended under the gem
eral phrase capital and labor it is
really vastly broader 1t is a mes
ton of social and economic organiza-
ton. Labor has become a large con-
tributor through its savings to the
stock of capital, while people who
own the largest individual appra
gates OF capital are themselves often
hard and earnest laborers. Very often
II is extremely difficult to draw the
line of demarcation between the two
! groups, to determine whether a par
ticular individual is entitled to be
set down as laborer or as capitalist
In very large proportion of cases
ne is both and when he is, the most
useful citizen.
The right of labor to organize is
Just as fundamental and necessary as
is the right of capital to organize.
The right of labor to negotiate; to
deal with. and solve it's particular
problems in an organized way
| through its chosen agents, is Just AS
| essential as is the right of capital to
organize, to maintain corporations, to
limit the liabilities of stockholders
Indeed, we have come to recognize
that the limited liability of the cit
! liens as u member of a labor organi-
cation closely parallels the limita-
| ton of liability of the citizen as a
stockholder in a corporation for
profit. Along this line of reason we
shall make the greatest progress TO.
ital and labor.
AS we have great bodies of law
carefully regulating the organization
and operations of industrial and
| financial corporations. as we have
! treaties and compaets among nations
| which look to the settlement of diff
| ferences without the necessity of
conflict in arms, so we might we'll
have plans of conference. of common
counsel, of mediation. arbitration and
1 judicial determination in controver-
sizes between capital and labor. To
accomplish this would involve the
necessity to develop thorough going
code of practice in dealing with such
affairs. 1t might be we'll to frankly
set worth the superior interest of the
| community as "a whole to either the
labor group or the capital group.
With rights. privileges, immunities
and models of organization thus care
fully defined 1t should be possible to
set up judicial or quasi judicial tri-
bunals for the consideration and de-
termination of all disputes which
menace the public welfare
Industrial Society
In an Industrial society, such as
! ours, the strike, the lockout and the
| boycott are as much out of place and
as disastrous in their results as war
or armed revolution into the domain
| of politics. The same disposition to
reasonableness. to Cancellation, to
recognition of the other sides point
of view. the same provision of fair
and recognized tribunals and pro-
cesses, ought to make it possible to
| solve the one set of questions as
easily as the other | believe the
solution is possible,
1.-THE consideration of such a policy
would necesstate the exercise of care
and elaboration in the construction
of a code and a charter of elemental
! rights, dealing with the relations of