The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-16
DO WE NEED MORE LAVE

President Harding has pointed out
to congress the need of new laws to
regulate Industrial disputes and of a
tribunal or commission to administer
public utilities. Congressman Hoch
describes his bill as an effort ''to
seek a permanent solution The
Railroad Labor Board. which is now
composed of representatives of groups
employers, employees and the public
is to be composed of men free from
allegiance to either OF the warning
factions. It is to renGer decisions
with an eye single to national welfare.
Instead of thinly disguised arbitra-
ton, there is to "disinterested ad-
Indication" In Mr.. Hoch's version of
what President Harding called the
code and charter of our Industrial
freedom, a concerted movement to
quit work for the purpose of forcing
employers to terms will constitute d
conspiracy"
Under the law as it now stands,
Mr.. Hoch says, any peace must be
merely patched up" affording "only
temporary relief" Until we have a
definite body of law regulating in
dustrial disputes and an administra-
tive tribunal to enforce it, organized
labor has it in its power ito threaten
the very life of the nation" Com
menting on the Hoch bill the New
York Times says:
In all this Mr.. Hoch shows no an
tagonism to organized labor as such.
The right of the individual to quit
work is safeguarded, as also the right
of collective bargaining. Legitimate
unionism, constructive and liberaliz-
ing, is to have full play. ''It would
be cruelty unjust to deny to railroad
employees the right to strike without
first setting up a better method, in
their interest, in its place" But there
must be an end to the situation in
which irresponsible leaders can WELD
a power beyond and above the laws
of the American people.
There are obvious gaps in the pro-
gram. 1t may be possible to indict,
and even to convict, an entire union;
but when 1t comes to the matter of
punishment, Jail space is limited and
largely occupied. Whether strike lead
ers can be convicted as conspirators
remains to be seen. Inexcusable as
is the delay of congress. it has at
least this advantage: When the IIoch
bill comes up for discussion the pub
lie will know by experience what it
means to be deprived of coal AMI lin
tied in transportation.
It may not be out OF place to say
to those who lay so great emphasis
on settling all these questions with
justice and equity to all concerned"
that it has not yet been shown that
either the employees or the employers
want a thing "equitably' settled when
they have the whip hand; they want
a little more than justice. "just for
good measure" An employer once
Remarked: 1.-THE trouble with these
labor people is that they are just like
the rest of US; they always want the
best of it,
The only kind of arbitration which
really, means arbitration is that
resentatiyes and, if they cannot agree,
they select an umpire or go on and
fight it out. In ninety-ffve cases out
of hundred a decision is reached by
this method. In England where they
have had the longest experience with
collective bargaining, providing for
arbitration when agreements can not
be reached, the contracts generally
stipulate that no outside parties shall
be brought in.
The United States war labor board
which handled all the great labor
problems during the war recognized
that principle.
The late Seth Low, who probably
had as much experience as any public
man in dealing with Industrial dis
.putes, once declared that he would
never again favor the idea of having
representative of the public act
on any arbitration board This con-
elusion was reached as the result of
the experience of himself and DR..
John H. Finley as representatives of
the public on the commission named
by President Wilson to arbitrate in
the controversy between the eastern
railroads and the railway brother
hoods. After listening for two months
to the testimony of engineers, sta
tlsticians, accountants and experts on
both sides, they handed down a de-
cision which, within a week, they had
to admit they could not interpret
themselves.
The North American Newspaper al
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