The New York herald., 1921-10-07
COMMISSION FAYORS
PANAMA OPEN SHOP
Recommends No Agreements
With Employees and No
Parley With Unions.
FOR USE OF NATIVE LABOR
Says Nothing Justifies Main
tanning a Naval Base
the Canal.
BIZ the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6.--Through re-
organization OF the administrative ma
chinery' IL the Panama Canal Zone with
radical changes in existing policies af-
fecting employment Of labor. physical
operation OF the canal and railroad, pay
of employees and other important SUBJ
| jects. Ia recommended in the prelimini-
nary report submitted to Secretary Weeks
| by the commission which recently In
vestigated conditions in the Canal Zone
at his request.
The commission estimates than an
annual saving Of $5.000.o0o would re-
suit from adoption Of it's suggestions.
Chief among the recommendation Is
that the governor Of the Canal Zone be
directed mot to make agreement or un-
derstangings with the canal employees or
any class thereof. for any period OF
time, but that the wages be periodically
adjusted in accordance with the law,
which bases the Canal wages on the pay
Of similar employees in the Government
service In the United States" and that
the Governor shall mot deal with labor
organizations as organizations. but
shall deal with committees OF em-
ployees."
''It is further recommended the re-
port says, that the open shop principle
be actually put into effect on the
isthmus, and that in all departments a
substantial proportion OF non-union men
be employed"
Another recommendation is that all
agreements limiting the use of tropical
labor be abrogated." and that the canal
administration shall hereafter retain
complete freedom of action as to its
policy In the employment OF union. nom
union or tropical labor.
Naval Base Opposed.
Asserting that il has failed to find
anything to justify continued expendi-
ture OF canal funds to maintain a naval
base at the canal, the report recon-
mcnds that operation Of various facili-
ties for naval purposes cease immedi.
ately and that hereafter the canal be
operated entirely as commercial
agency. until Congress shall otherwise
Indicate" =.
Other recommendations include dis
cont 1uance of free housing. light. heat
and other prerequisites given white en-
ployees on the canal at a cost of $780,
900 a year TO the Government; divorce
ment Of operation Of the Panama Rail-
road from that OF the canal operation
! and manaGement Of the railroad and
steamship line of the Panama Railroad
Company "as are similar commercial
activities in private life" and encour-
agement of agriculture In the zone.
The commission was headed by Brig
4 ~ t.f F<.f ta >
Capt. A. B. Fry, OF the Treasury De-
partrnent: +. A. Molitor, New York en-
gineer, and II. T. Wilson. New York
| banker and business man.
| Denounced by Gompers.,
| The report drew fire from Samuel
Gompers, president Of the American
Federation Of Labor, who described the
4 labor recommendation as nothing less
| han preposterous and affronting to the
entire country He said he trusted the
recommendation would not be accepted
| and that the authors Of the report would
be suitably rebuked."
| ut Is unthinkable," continued Mr..
Gompers, that Government depart
ment should Join forces with the most
reactionary elements In our country to
put into effect what the report calls the
| open shop.
ITO displace Americans by tropical
natives at a lower wage is to commit a
breach of faith and to adopt a policy
foreign TO every concept of fairness and
good national policy. Not only is there
shameful betrayal OF public policy In
these respects. but also in the recon-
mendation to discontinue naval facilities
in advance of International agreement.
/ in the recommendation to divorce the
Panama railroads from the canal and
in the recommendation to discontinue
benefits created for Americans working
In thu canal