The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1922-08-31
RAILROAD and COAL Strikes
WILL ULTIMATELY Be AVOIDED

wellesley Hills, MASS, August 20,
1922-People are not so much in
terested in the temporary settle
mint of the coal strike and the rail-
road strike as in developing plans
so that they will not periodically re-
occur. 1t is not enough to know
that we shall have coal this winter
or that railroad traffic Is not now
suspended. If the people of this
country are to be happy, healthy and
prosperous, we must know that some
plan is being evolved to prevent
these strikes from re-occuring. In
view Of these facts, Roger w. Bah
son this was week asked to make a
forecast as to future labor develop
ments. His diagnosis of the strike
situation follows:
when in Washington during the
war, assisting the Secretary of La
Dor, it was evident that the students
Of labor problems were divided into
two. distinct groups; one group be-
heves in compulsory arbitration as
illustrated by the Kansas Industrial
Court, andthe other group stands
purely for conciliation without any
compulsion. Conservatives and ra-
dicals can be found in both groups.
Investigation leads me to believe
that there is field for both of these
Oh Han IN
connection with general industries,
such as the textile industry, the
boot and shoe industry and possibly
the steel industry, should be kept
on a conciliation basis. 1t surely
would be a mistake to attempt COM
pulsory arbitration in connection
with these businesses which are op-
Grated solely for profit. The best
means of avoiding trouble in these
Industries is by keeping these in
dustries in two major labor groups,
one group to be strictly union"
and the other group strictly mon
union. Let the union group adopt
group be strictly non-union. Then
let the two. groups compete. I do
not mean necessarily in production,
but rather see under which system
the public, the employees and the
stockholders, all combined, are
most prosperous. My own guess is
that none of these three parties
woul long be healthy, happy and
prosperous with all "union" or all
"non-union". When one group Sc
cures control it becomes inefficient,
careless and arrogant. My guess Is
that an industry would be most
prosperous and all concerned In 1t
would be rendering the most SER
vice and be happiest il the industry
were equally divided into a union
and non-union field. So much for
general industry. When disputes
arise, only conciliation should be ap-
piled by third party. There should
be no compulsory settlements In
such cases.
When, however we come to trans
portation, fuel, public utilities such
as water, light and gas, or to the
distribution of milk, bread, etc., we
find group of Industries to which
compulsory arbitration must be ap-
Piled. The first two groups to
which such strong-arm methods Will
be applied are the railroads and
coal mines. First let me say that
the railroads and the mine oper-
ators are themselves largely to
blame for present troubles. Altho
the owners of thes properties are
now behaving themselves, they have
not always done so. Most OF the
unwise methods that labor. leaders
are using today were applied by the
railroads and mine operators twen-
ty years ago. Hence these corpor-
ations are now only reaping what
they have sown. Nevertheless, two
wrongs do not make right. Our
nation must have transportation
and fuel at fair rate and the oper-
alton of its railroad and coal prop
critics must be undisturbed by either
labor leaders or stock market oper-
ators.
Regarding the railroad situation:
To secure a fair rate the Interstate
Commerce Commission has been or
ganized, and to secure undisturbed
transportation the railroad labor
board has been created. The first
of these-that Is, the Interstate'I
Commerce Commissions function
ing very well. and the struggle is
now over the railroad labor board"
At this point Mr.. Babson was told
of a strong feeling on the part OF
both the railroad managementts and
the employees that the railroad |