Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-28
THE SENATE GETS ACQUAINTED
WITH THE REALITIES OF LIFE
Washington Is Discovering an America
That Is Seldom Mentioned In tho
Political Speeches

u
and transportation deadlock, would not
bring any sudden uphcavnl of fuel from the
Garth. Il could not guarantee continuing
justice and peace on the railroads. For the
Government is not the custodian Of a magic
wand.
1t is a group of men elected temporarily
to direct public affairs Of the sort that
ordinarily are self directing. Very few Of
the members OF the Government at Wash
inSton know anything about the processes
OF railroad operation or coal mining. Sen
ator Nelson, of Minnesota, talking a day
or so ago about the coal tic-up, presented
what might be called a sensational example
of the prevailing lack Of detailed economic
know ledge in Congress- Fuel would be
plentiful. Mr.. Nelson declared when the
operators and the Government had the
courage TO open all the mines with nom
union men Here is n Senator Of long
experience who doesn't know that large.
scale mining cannot be carried on without
skilled labor and that virtually all the
skilled miners are stand pat members OF
the striking unions.
II the Government decides to seize
mine and rail lines It will really do nothing
more than adopt emergency legislation
through which IL Will have temporary power
TO dictate terms Of wages and operating
policies to owners and employees In the two
industries. And the Governments policy
would almost inevitably be one Of further
concessions to organized labor. for COR
porations may always be coerccd by threats
pF Sai ,F h., i.pS hay 81 Inv
no seizable property. cannot be SO easily
reached.
Competent railroaders and miners who
will not work cannot be made TO work under
any law that Congress can pass. And
If the Government were guided by prece-
dents established when the railways were
taken over by the Government during the
war the Federal directing board would do
little but take more money out of the pockets
of the public and the treasures of the own
ing corporations TO get the strikers back to
their jobs and keep them in a peaceful state
OF mind.
This is the most superficial and ne1pert
sort of economic practice. But it is about
the only method that the Government can
are few men in the Government service
who know anything about the technique OF
industrial organization. the laws of eco
nolnic conflict or the new issues created
between large groups Of employers and en-
ployes by the wide fluctuations Of wages
and living costs that followed after the
war.
The Senate itself, If one may presume
to base judgments upon the recent speeches
OF its members. knows far too little about
the basic realities of contemporary life in
the United States 1t lives. as most poi-
tirians 1--we in the past. 1t permits itself
TO be guided by echoes out of earlier gener-
at!ons rather than by the harsh, explicitly
spoken challenges of the present and the
future.
Naturally the Senate was shocked to the
heart to perceive that at the present moment
the coal operators and the rail executives
on the one hand and the unions on the
other have vastly more power directly TO
affect the common life Of the country for
good or i'll than the Senate and the House
Of Representatives. respectively.
lied to deal with the facts Of community
life and TO control the material resources
OF the land. Unlike Congress, they are not
content to play around with shadows or
10 be ConsOlcd and diverted by loud and
automatic repetition Of the political beati.
tudes. The unions and the leaders Of the
big employers groups are reaiSts. The
average Senator Is not q realist.
one must mix a great deal of genuine
sympathy with the concern which naturally
attends view Of men like Mr.. Nelson. Of
Minnesota. The Senate is going to the
primary school Of American life at last.
It is learning much that 1t should have
learned long ago. 1t is finding out that
the two terms, "capital and 'labor.' stand
for active and tremendously potent and
lively things.
II will know at last that It is sweat and
iron and money and human egosIn reflected
in workers aud employers groups and the
STRINGS of spiritual ambition in unsus-
pected places and growing wealth created
out of the earth that compl!Cate our ma
tional problems. And 1t will learn, too,
that aphorisms made by the founders of the
Republic for the guidance Of purely agr!-
cultural and simple hearted people will not
always be adequate to the demands Of
country transformed BY success. wealth.
machinery and enormous population.
There is only one sort Of Government
control over industry that ever would be
wholly satisfactory to the United States.
THAT is the indirect control effected through
a progressive economic philosophy sanc-
,ioned and encouraged in Washington to
preserve justice between man and man and
to make sure that no new shift OF economic
viewpoint and no new devices OF industrial
organization may ever rob any individual
of his right to life. liberty and the pursuit
of happiness or deny him the equal oppor-
tunity with HIS fellows, which is the only
real test of social freedom.
Temporary direct control OF some mine