Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-03
REMEDY FOR LABOR TRIFE-By Frederic j. Haskin
Copyright, 1920

of an Industrial code which defines the fun
damental principles governing all relations in
all industry. Every community, every indus
try, and every plant presents problems in
employment that are peculiar to ITSELF but
there are certain phases of the relations be-
tween employer and employed that are uni
versal and basic and with respect to which
there should be rules or principles that are
basic and universally accepted and applied
Workers either should or should not have
the right to organize in trade-unions, the right
of collective bargaining, the right to a living
wage, and the right to an eight-hour day or
some restriction upon the hours of labor
Women in industry should or should not have
the right to the same pay as men for the
same or equivalent service. Employment of
children under certain age in mines and mills
should or should not be permitted. The pub
lie should or should not be protected against
Interruptions in industry growing out of con-
3troversies between capital and labor.
Organic Law of Industry
Whatever is ethicaly, socially and economic
ally Just and wise with respect to each of
these questions should be clearly defined and
promulgated as the organic law of industrial
relations, and this organic law or code should
be accepted and enforced as the basis of all
employment and the adjustment of all diff
ferenceS between capital and labor.
If unions are useful and lawful, say the
experts, then that fact should be established
and universally recognized. There should be
mo denial or abridgment OF that right.
situation such as has prevailed in West Vir-
GINA, for example, is regarded as prepoSterous
There in certain coal fields the miners have
had absolute freedom to join their union,
while in other fields they are not only denied
employment if they are union members but
they dare not hold meetings to consider the
organization of local or even discuss the
union question, one with another. Surely
whatever rights in this respect are enjoyed by
one of these groups of miners should not be
denied the other. Furthermore, the fact that
diSSension over this question led to civil war
in West Virginia is cited as proof that it
would be for the best interest of everybody
concerned to have this question of the right
to organize settled one way or the other,
beyond all question and for all time to come.
Similarly the case may be made for all the
fundamentals in industrial relations
Without such an industrial code, it is pointed
out, arbitrationS of labor disputes become
mere trading affairs in which the better trader
triumphS. 1t is all very well to say that ar
bitration means settlement on the basis OF
what is sound and just, but what is the rule
or yardStick with which to measure what is
sound and justl Different arbitrators will
have different ideas, if the determination is
solely matter of opinion. Confidence in
courts is not based upon confidence in the
integrity and wisdom of the judges but rather
upon the fact that the judges are governed
by an organic law, by precedents and by a
procedure that is universal in its application.