Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-09-16
Humanity In
Government
Peacemakers in Industry
BY JAMES j.. DAVIS
Secretary of Labor

Der of persons directly affected and
no matter how unimportant the en-
terprise involved. Not only the well
| fare of the wage Garner, but the well
ARE of the employer and the wei
fare of the whole American pubic Is
touched when men quit work in a
controversy with those who employ
them. The workers lose in wages,
, the employers in prohts, n the
| whole nation in the service to which
it is entitled from the industry. In
its task of safeguarding the well
fare of the wage Garner, n in It's
duty to the whole country, the De-
partment of Labor through h Di-
vision of Cancellation, directed by
the secretary of labor, ~endeavors to
preserve peace in industry. Author
icy for this work is derived from
the act creating the department,
which provides hal 1.-The secretary
of labor shall have power to act as
mediator and to appoint commits
sicners of Cancellation in labor dis
rutes, whenever in his judgment the
interests of industrial peace may re-
qUire it to be done"
Industry in America bears a close
relationship to every individual in
the country. 1t is so closely woven
llIlC llle Id Va Jul cNSlJNoy ftS
that anything that interferes with
the normal course of industry SER
iCusly interferes with the welfare of
all of III people. The public in
every instance is more or less of Il
party in interest to every industrial
dispute. The purpose of the cepars-
ment of labor is, through its indus
trial peace makers in the Cancellation
service, to encourage a full mea-
sure of production, preserve the EEL
fare of the wage Garner, and treat
the employer fairly. Contented and
satisfied workers mean efficiency in
industry and insure better returns
to both capital and labor. Capita!
is entitled to a just return on it's
inv estment and labor is entitled to q
Just return for it's work. Both, II
they secure these returns, go hand
in hand to increase the wealth of
the world by production and to in
sure greater comfort to the whole
people.
It has been the policy of the La
Dor Department not to inject Itself
into labor disputes so long as the
employers and employees are making
progress toward reaching an rec
ment. unless requested to by one
of the parties to the dispute or by
the public directly affected. The
department has taken the position
that the best settlement of any in
dustcial controversy is that reached
by the parties themselves, without
outside interference. Next in ordcr
CT preference comes the settlement
by mediation or conciliation and I'M
ally the settlement by arbitration,
if both sides a agree to leave the
decision in the hands of a third
party.
When the Cancellation service be-
gan it's work, 70 per cent of the dis
puteS in which its intervention was
sought, had already reached the
strike stage. Recently conditions
have SO improved and the services
of the department have been so
generally recognized, that less than
80 per cent of the cases before the
service have reached the point where
work was suspended.
The function If the Department
of Labor officials in any labor dis
pute is purely that of peace-makers
The Department has nc authority to
make and award or hand down a de-
cision and then demand that the
parties to the controversy abide by
it. The coonciliatorS have no judi
cial function. Their work is entire
ly diplomatic. They are industrial
peace-makers endeavoring to get the
contending parties together, in Or
der that the interests affected may
themselves solve their W problems.
Drawing on their fund of wide eX-
p~erience, they suggest methods and
alternatives which have proven sue
cessful in other instances and which
will tend to bring about a renewed
peaceful relationship between m
ployer and employe. The Depart
ment does not endeavor to impose
it's ideas upon either employer or
worker, but seeks to find a basis of
just settlement that will be accept
able to both sides, even though it
may not be entirely satisfactory to
either. 1t has been found that this
policy, faithfully persued, results IN
a better feeling between employers
and employees when a controversy is
terminated. Through it's operation
barriers that keep employers and
employees apart have been removed,
and the way cleared for better re-
lations and a clearer understanding
of the respective rights and obliga-
tions of the parties involved.
The Department of Labor has, in
the nearly ten years of existence,
built up a staff of conciliators espe-
cially qualified for their important
task. Many of the commissioners
have been drafted from business,
professional and industrial life.
Some have been managers of large
corporations, some have been gov
eminent officials and some have been
leaders in organized labor.
Tho work of the cOQciliatOr can
not be successfully conducted by set
rules or regulations. He works by
rule of thumb. The elements enter
ing into the trade dispute are never
exactly the same as those hat have
been met in a similar controversy.
The conciliator must meet each sit
uation in the name best calculated
to bring the ~contending parties to-
gether. If he can get both employ
err and employe to sit down around
the council table and discuss their
differences man to man he has won
more than half the battle. For ex-
p~erience has shown that no matter
how great the difference may be be-
tween men, if they will get together
and talk owe their disagreement.
obstacles which seemed impossible
may quickly be overcome.
The Cancellation work of the de-
partment has gradually become more
and more a recognized factor in AM
erica's industrial life. as experience
has demonstrated the effectiveness
of its mediation in avoiding strikes.
or in bringing a quick settlement
of disputes where work has already
been suspended. Labor has discov-
cred that it has a standing recog-
nized by the government whenever