The Washington herald., 1921-08-21

for the year Under the new conditions
10000 miners have drawn 100000 in
wages more than IL 900 miners drew in
1919. and this is only the beginning. 1t 10
the first year Of the operation Of the law and
it is so revealing in its beneficial tendency
that in November, when the law was only
nine months old, Alexander Howat, presi-
dent of the district federation, was defeated
by bis own followers in a general election
when he attempted to secure the selection
of legislative officers from his own district
who were pledged to the repeal Of the law.
Kansas has always been progressive in her
labor legislation. She has never passed
law that could be regarded as unfriendly
BY any fair minded laboring man. The dim
Guilty Of the present moment is in the
changed character Of labor leadership. No
thinking man desires to deny to labor all
riEhtful protection and we must all realize
that unionization has done much to improve
the conditions Of the lsboring man.
But il was not unioniLstion under the
present radical leadership. 1t was q union
ization that mingled pride Of craftsmanship
with the other considerations Of strength.
The new labor leadership has no doctrine %
this kind. II has come into o land Of
achievement, preaching the tactics Of sup
pressed effort. At an hour when we are
behind with our work It teaches the doctrine
of Stacking. 1t builds no morale for better
craftsmanship, but rather holds IN higher
regard the workman who knows how TO
cheat and slack.
TINE proud workman has com. to feel this
IL IN ptzaf g.
# so keenly that the days Of the present
radical leadership are numbered. At some
period in the near future conservatives will
control the leadership Of American labor and
they will build back into the orgsuizstioa
the pride Of other days. when the American
workman regarded himself highly as
workman ard enjoyed q certain spirit ~
independence, q certain possession OF pros
perity which has not come to him under
radical leadership.
The pendulum lie swinging back II 70
really not surprising that II swung so fer
the other way. Labor had suffered many
wrongs at the hands Of capital in the .srlv
days Of organization. Capital completed it,
program earlier than did labor and when
labor finally perfected its organization there
was builded into Il some spirit Of retalis-
ton for the wrongs which capital invoked
in q day when labor was more nearly help
less.
With the new realization that 10 coming
both to capital and labor Of the waste that
IL in the industrial war II ought to be posi-.
BE TO establish under the pledge Of govern
nent q system Of adjudication that viii
bring peace, order and prosperity TO both
capital and labor and protection to the pub
lie from the waste and danger Of the indus.
trial war.
The question. involved relate not only
to statutory law and TO impartial Justice
but to economic law. When we ret back Il
American basis, organized labor viii resliss
that the doctrine which teaches them to put
into life the smallest amount Of effort and
to take out the greatest possible returns h
not according to the American philosophy
When they come to realise that there 10
court Of impartial justice to which they ma!
appeal, they will like this better than their
own appeal to their own secretaries Of war
which 10 always followed BY q period Of dis
aster, except to these secretaries.
This law win also stabilize the condition,
Of labor in times Of depression when Their
10 q surplus Of labor. II will protect thi
surplus against the greed Of the employer
who. in every period Of depression. hsv
been iuclined to take advantage Of the sur
plus and to grind the scale Of wages dow
to an indefensible minimum.
court Of Justice, with power to stud
living costs and 10 protect labor a. well d
capital against the illogical and unfeelinl
operation OF opportunists' greed, will hrini
stsbilizstiop to the situation and renov
from the public the threat which hangs ovs
II whsn Obliged to live between two organ
i,stien, builded for var upon each ether.