The Washington times., 1921-06-24
LABOR NEEDS REAL
THINKER FOR CHIEF,
HAPG0OD ASSERTS
Compers' Defeat Would Break
Up "Petrifisd System." he
Declares.
BY NORMAN HAPGOoD.

Not often do write three times In
succession on the same topic. How
ever, as long ~ there Is the slightest
from the Leadership OF American labor
! want to do what I can to make clear
the advantages that would come from
having a real live thinker In his POSI-
tion.
Itls not a mere matter of compari-
son between Gompers and the In
dividual who might be his hrrt sue
cessor. 1t is question OF breaking
up petrined system. Mr.. Compers
has surrounded himself with an
executive committee that is. II any
thing, even more backward than he 10,
II some one else were elected chief,
however, he might compare with Mr.
Gompers In one attribute or another.
His election would mean that the old
machine had fallen. II would mean
that the way had been cleared for
American labor to get itself into con-
dition to deal successfully with the
problems of the time.
II labor were led In . creative and
statesmanlike way capital would be
educated inevitably. The general
public would be educated and would
drag the capitalists along with II.
But, as a matter OF fact, labor, IN
stead OF gaining public confidence,
has less public sympathy than II had
few years ago.
CHANCE FOR REAL LEADER
Look at the chance that a real la
Dor leader would have today. MT.
Hoover would not be called by any
body a radical. or in any way over
critical Of business. and yet 1t was
committee appointed at his instance
that has reported that In some OF
the industries which II has been in
vssugating the management 10 not
more than 30 per cent eficient
In other words, a business Of that
kind IL in the control Of such men
that. IL II continues in existence at
all. II can only be bacsuse II costs
the public As much as IL ought to.
OF all the wastes in management.
none equals the waste that comes
from rushing q plant three-ffths OF
the time and shutting II down entirely
or In part the other two ffths. This
kind of waste, of destruction OF life,
of injury both to the employees and to
the public, goes on even In industries
that are concerned with staples.
GARY's LOST OPPORTUNITY.
II Judge Gary and his friends were
worthy OF the imperial power that
compliant public allows to remain In
their hands they could have done
much to prevent the present collapse.
They could have used their incredible
resources to stabilize their produc-
ton. They could have reduced their
prices at the right time. well ahead
of being forced to do so. Then. when
they had started prices down, they
could properly have reduced wages.
~
ton on the steel trust by the meth
DDS he is using. II he were capable
of more constructive thinking he
could do his part, a large one. I'm
mobiiizing public opinion to approach
these wrongs In a way that would
soon shake the worst examples of
Industrial despotism.
ANTI-LABOR OFFENSIVE.
Such leadership IL doubIy needed
just now because theh and-labor
forces are taking the offensive. For
example. in the Connecticut legisla-
ture there 10 a bill now pending for
the abolition of strike benefits to
members OF unions engaged in "un-
warranted industrial warfare" with
out defining unwarranted.
Picketing 10 abolished by the same
bill. In Nebraska Governor McKelyi,
has signed the law against picketins.
In Colorado the State supreme court
has upheld the law that there cannot
be a strike without thirty days no
tice.
Illinois has q bill before the Iegis-
islature against "unwarranted indus
trial warfare" One of the tests Ia
where there Is no made dispute in
volving issues OF direct benefit to the
acting parties" That does not change
the actual law at all. 1t Is merely
symptom of the nationwide cam
paign.
Some people have gone out OF their
way to doubt my statement that In
surance companies are insuring
against strikes. but my statement Is
exact. OF course. this 10 an encour-
agement to despotic behavior, and of
course could not name the COM
panies, since II would tend to bring
on the strikes they insure against
unless some of the big organiza-
tions had ways of making 1t good to
the insurance companies.