The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1921-03-15
THE LABOR CONTROVERSY

There is a wide discrepancy between the facts alleged in the
Public Statement" printed in the Express in behalf OF a committee
Of citizens and the reply Of the Trades Council to this statement
In the "Pubhc Statement il is declared that Mr.. Gossett OF
the Early Hotel. refused to sign a contract with the Culinary
Union. while the reply OF the Trades Council contains the text Of
a contract which bears Mr.. Gossetts name and which it is alleged
he violated.
If it is demonstrated that Mr.. Gossctt was under a contract
which he failed to keep, the citizens signing the Public state
ment' are placed in the attitude OF endorsing the violation OF Q
contract, something which, it is certain, none OF them would
think Of doing. The violation Of contracts goes TO the root OF
business honesty and nobody Of ordinary deeency eountenances IT,
The Public Statement also declares that the Trades Council
passed a resolution to the effect that all merchants who have a
union card. all union clerks. and all other union men who are now
stopping at the Early Hotel would have to move or they would
be classed as unfair to all organized labor" To this charge the
Trades Council replies that mo such resolution as claimed was
ever presented to the Trades Council for action at any tine, hence
no such action was ever taken
Now, we believe it fair to assume that neither the citizens
committee nor the Trades Council committee had any desire OF.
intention to misrepresent the facts involved in this controversy
but between the statement-of the former and the reply OF the
latter. on these two points there is a direct conflict. Inasmuch as
both sides in their published statements have appealed to the
public and since it is impossible for anybody to draw a correct
conclusion from testimony that is clearly conflicting, we believe
public interest demands an impartial investigation OF the facts
with a view to getting at the truth. Assuming that the citizens
who made the charges mentioned were acting in perfect good
faith and had reason to believe what they charged and assuming
equally good faith upon the part Of the Trades Council committee
a fair investigation should show where the discrepancies arise and
should also serve to clear up the matter.
lncalculabe harm to community welfare and private inter
ess often result from misunderstanding which foster discord
and promote strife where there should be harmony. Frequently
disastrous clashes between employers and employees can be
averted by a little patience, common-sense and a sincere spirit OF
fairness on both sides. Germany went to war and to her doom
because she refused to listen to the pleas OF Lord Grey and other
statesmen for a conference and investigation and a world tragedy
was the result of her stubborness and stupidity. Like causes and
like courses Of action produce like results everywhere. We do not
for a moment believe that the leaders on either side i'll the contro-
versy which has arisen in Chickasha have any. wish to assume such
an attitude as that which lead to an international catastrophe and
therefore we take it that an impartial investigation OF the facts at
issue will be acceptable to all concerned. Such an investigation
will serve the interests Of the public and OF all parties involved
better than separate, one-sided presentations through the press.
Charges and counter charges avail nothing; let the facts, fairly as
certaned, speak for themselves.