The New York herald., 1922-02-26
Republican Club Hears First
Hand About Labor Tri-
bunal in Kansas.
STRIKES NEARLY VANISH
Representative Mills Opposes
Idea of Wage Regulation
by the Government.

resentative Ogden L. Mills opposed each
other yesterday In q discussion Of the
kansas Industrial Court at the eighth
Saturday non-partisan discussion in the
National Republican Club, 54 West For
tieth street. Judge Higgins upheld the
industrial court on the ground that it
Is tho duty Of government to protect the
people from the evils Of industrial war;
fare as well as from a foreign foe. Rep
resentative Mills raised the question
whether regulation OF private industry
by government was not too great a
price to pay for Industrial peace.
Judge Higgins said he was wondering
wheher New York would not like to
have q law similar to that in Kansas.
He described tho operation of the in
dustrial court at length and told of the
conviction Of Alexander Howat, presi-
dent Of tho United Mine Workers of
America, which gained national atten-
ton.
"Kansas and New York may be rivals
in a certain brand Of labor king he
said, referring to the activities of lead
ers in tho building trades and milk
strike but he preferred the Kansas kind.
Judge Higgins said the Kansas act
has been condemned by certain classes
of labor leaders, but that other labor
leaders and employers are favorable to
it. He pointed out that there is no
provic.on in the law to compel men to
work, as has been charged, the law
being designed, he said, to create eco
nonic conditions In industry that Will
impel men to work, ''for the same rea-
son that capital might seek investment
therein" He said involuntary idleness
is an evil ''as vicious as Involuntary
servitude." The speaker said the indus
trial act provides for regulation In case
of emergency only.
'srhe motto. Less Government In busi-
ness and more business in Govern
n1ent'" he continued, "is a good motto,
but if anarchy gets into business, as
has occurred in New York and Kansas
several times, we had better put Gov
crnment into business long enough to put
anarchy out"
Judge Huggins said forty-one indus
trial cases have been filed with the
court in two years and that thirty-four
OF them have been adjudicated. The de-
cision in thirty-three OF the cases mas
been accepted by both sides, he said.
There is but one appeal pending and
that was made by an employer. since
the law went into effect there have been
but two strikes in the State OF any I'M
portance," no said, ''the recent packing
house strike and the recent coal strike.
The speaker charged that there are
persistent attempts to nlisrepresent the
industrial situation in Kansas. Propa-
eanda against the courts Is being poured
into the newspapers he said, telling OF
strikes in the coal field. He said there
has been virtually no trouble in the coal
field, as q matter of fact, since the
president and vice-president OF the union
were sent to jail and the radical Tor
eign element driven out.
I'VE have reduced strikes almost to
the vanishing point" he said. THE law
IS gradually winning the approval OF
labor. the confidence of the employers
ana the gratitude of the general public.
Labor has been deprived of its weapons
OF warfare, but has been given In place
thereof n fair and impartial tribunal IN
which II may, without cost. have It's
grievances heard and adjudicated.'
Judge Higgins said the State bears
the expense of the court, because tne
adjudication of tho dispute is for the
benefit Of the general public. In ending
the speaker said:
Industrial warfare threatens the very
existence of government. If democracy
is to survive in this country We must
evolve a lawful solution OF these con-
etantIy recurring industrial contro-
yersies. Bolshevism, Communism, So
cialism and Anarchy feed and fattcn
upon the aftermath OF Industrial war
as did tho vultures upon the bodies
OF the slain after the battles OF an
tiouity. Loyalty to democratic institu-
tions should deter men from reckless
condemnation Of the Kansas experiment.
Only those who have made q careful
study Of the law should condemn 1t,
and then only II they have better
remedy to offer. Some remedy Is i'm
peratively needed"
Opposes Government Dictum.
Representative Mills said that when
YOU regulate wages you indirectly regu-
latc what fair wage Is. He held that
this was an introduction of something
new in government and great de-
parture from the general conception OF
what government should do. He said
that il was supposed the Esch-Cum-
minis law was designed to bring the
railroad workers and owners together In
arbitration between themselves, but
we know that they only seem to get
together and we know that tho United
states Government likes the wages OF
all railroad employees"
Courts like those in Kansas, he said.
would In time become political. He said
that the Public Service Commission Is
somewhat similar to the Kansas indus
trial court, and asked IL any business
man would like to have the Public Ser
vice Commission regulate his business.
Eventually the courts will become
political in character" he added. Labor
Influence will predominant over the em-
ploycr and in the long run they will
come out on top
Representative sdT.,s advocated extern
sion of the shop committee scheme of
settling labor disputes. Speaking Of
the recent threatened railroad strike he
pointed out that 1t was the weight of
public opinion that prevented the strike
and not because the Railroad Labor
boards decision was binding on any one.
THAT is the way / believe In" no
said. 'In my Judgment you can do
nothing worse than to put law on the
statute books that you cannot enforce.
What is needed is board of arbitration
TO investigate the facts and mako them
public. Then let the citizens of the
country act as a jury"
Judge Higgins in rebuttal said the
American people can be the jury, but
The only way they can render verdict
Is at ballot box and we have an elec-