The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-05-02
CURB REQUIRED
To SAVE UNIONS,
SAYS UNTERMEYER
Some Organizations Need Pro-
lection against Themselves
TIMES DEMAND REFORMS
Declare Labor Leaders Possess
Ungrounded Fear of
Regulation

New York, May 2.-Unless organiz-
ed labor champions moderate regula'
tory measures, its abuses will keep
pace with It's increasing power Sam
uel Untermyer, attorney for the Lock
wood Legislative Committee, declared
last night in a May Day address in
Terrace Garden. Included In the form
of regulation he had in mind, he said,
would be the right to strike.
There are many labor unions he
asserted, among them the more pros
porous, that are under the guiding
hand Of men OF vision and that are
free from grave abuses They would
not be affected by regulatory legis-
lation The others must be regulated
TO save them from themselves"
AS life long friend and champion
of labor, Mr. Untermyer said he was
entitled to have the working men
hearken to his advise, Samuel Com
pers, he said knew how for years he
had insisted that the workers were
not receiving their just share of the
wealth they produced and that but
for organized labor their lot would be
one OF misery and virtual serfdom.
II know and he knows tlat
know" he stated. "of the fierce up
hill struggles of organized labor a
gainst the ever increasing power OF
organized capital and Of what 1t has
done for the workers"
Mr.. Untermyer said his conception
OF labor union regulation, has none
Of the terrors that are involved in the
word regulation as seen from the
point of view Of the labor leaders
1T does not even involve enforced
Incorporation of the unions, he con
tinued, although If these gentlemen
understand the limitations that may
be placed upon incorporation they
would see no great harm in that char
acter OF regulation. But since that
conveys to them an unweleome how
ever unjustifed fear OF restriction
upon their activities, it is not neces
sary to consider IT,
"The form OF regulation that
have in mind would expressly re
serve all the present rights of the
Union to strike and al other rilat.
now secured to them by the law tha
do not conflict with public policy anC
public safety and prosperity. The!
would be in the first instance purel!
administrative and would involve:
a. The submission by each unioi
of It's constitution and bylaws for ap
proval to a State Commission and tn,
granting to it OF license, IL an unin
oorporated association, il they cor
tain nothing that is contrary to pub
lie policy.
(2) The right Of 0 member of tn
union to review any determination o
his union that he believes to be un
just to him.
(3) The right to any person fee
ing aggrieyed by the action of tn
union to a like review.
'(4) The right to any oomplainan
having a just grievance against tn
rules, practices and regulations of
union to have such abuses abated, b
ing In this respect somewhat analal
Gus to the present authority OF IN
Federal Trade Commission to pr,
vent unfair business practices anon
corporations engaged in interstat
business.
(5) The privilege to either part
to a controversy before g'e Commits
sion to appeal to the Courts from II
decision.
Such regulatory body would b
given no power to enforce arbitrato
between the unions and their emplo
ers or to inrude into any Of the col
troversies over wages, hours of labC
or any other matters that the legit
mate subject OF contract or OF barte
between the employer and the uniol
Its jurisdiction would be confined I
the correction of unfair regulation
and practices.
THE ony effect of that Unite
form Of regulation would be to co,
form the rules and practices of III
labor unions that are now dscredi
ing the cause to those that alread
prevail in the unions OF more enligl
ehed management In that way L.
butioN uhlVHH VII ne uepTlNeu
their power through their oppressi,
and indefensible methods to weakC
the legitimate unions and thus w
the cause Of organized labor be gre
ly strengthened and IT'S enemies di
armed.
THAT, in brief. is my plan +
streng Henng the cause of the lab
unions and of confounding its enel
les, whose entire stock-in.trade
based upon those abuses where'
they hope to obscure and have
ready well-night succeeded in obsc
ing the fundamental Justice and me
its of the principles on whit.l organ
ed labor Is founded"