Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-10-13
HOOVER DISCUSSES
The COAL PROBL EN-
SAYS FEDERAL LAWS ON coNciL-
IATloN HAVE FAILED TO
GET PEACE RESULTS.
LABOR REJECTS ARBITRATION
Something More Needed That viii
Give Assurance That the Dominant
Right of the Public Shall Be Recog-
nized by All.
BY JAMES P. HoRNADAY

BY JAMES P. HoRNADAY
Washington.-Her Hoover, sec
rotary of commerce, in discussing the
two great strikes of the summer,
called attention to the fact that the
federal laws on Cancellation have
failed to obtain any results for
peace.
1.-The conception of arbitration is
settlement based on mutual agreement
to abide by the decision of third
party, but this is now refused on
principle for the workers consider
that arbitration always results in COM
promise, and that this is compromise
with their bread and butter said ne.
'"Thus all the old conceptions OF mu-
tual settlement in industry have failed.
We may well preserve the old meth
DDS Of peace, but Of a certainty they
must be better organized, and we need
something more that will bring posi-
tive insurance of peace to the public.
Nor is the organization of employers
on national basis the answer, for In
such case, while collective bargaining
might proceed more smoothly, the pub
lie could well take alarm, because the
costs Of any bargain might be passed
on to the consumer. Therefore, such
bargaining must be controlled in the
public interest, even if it serves TO
prevent stoppage.
s"There are a great many rights that
| \. -
have grown UP around these Industrial
relations Workers have right to
organize to protect and improve wages
and conditions of labor They have
right to collective bargaining. They
have a right to strike. They have a
right to refuse to join such organiza-
tions. They have a right to work
without intimidation and assault En-
ployers have a right to refuse to rec
ognize such organizations. They have
right to lockout. They have right
to keep open shop.
Right of the Public Is Superior.
mo one seriously denies any of
these. rights, but lot of people are
overlooking a superior right. That
is the right of the public to a con-
tinuous supply Of its vital necessities
and services upon terms fair to the
employer and employee. When these
various rights infringe upon the pub
lie right, then the dominant right is
public right.
aside from employee relationships,
most of the economic decentralization
In the coal industry lies in the btu
minous, as distinguished from the an
thracite, industry, and my discussion
hereafter refers to bituminous alone.
This industry, indeed, functions very
badly. Some state glibly that it will
work itself out If left alone. 1t must
be borne in mind that it has not been
left alone in the past and the pres
ent situation is in large degree due to
legislative interference. The control
of combinations among operators,
without such restraint among en-
ployees, the rules of artificial car dis
tribution, the state legislation of va
rious sorts, and other acts have a
great responsibility for the present con-
dition. I am not here questioning the
necessity Of these measures, but their
influence in the situation must not be
overlooked, and they must be either
supplemented or amended by wise pro
visions, if we are to have coal peace.
IrreguIarity of Employment.
"The perpetual labor difficulties are
but one Of the inevitable by-products
of this poor organization. Labor is
struggling on one side to set up re
Enumeration based on such days pay
and such piecework rates as will give
standard of living from go per cent
of time employed. Labor is thus
honeycombed with the worst of stimu-
lants to unrest, insecurity of employ
ment. At the same time, men who
have the opportunity to work full time
in regularly operating mines earn re-
turns far above the average income of
our most prosperous farmers and other
workers. There can be no solution
either to the operators or to the work
ers so long as this condition contin-
ues Entirely beyond great national
the consequent overexpansion of the in
dustry, we must have a planning out
of the intermittent irregularities and
consequent overexpansion of the in
dustry if we are to have stability.
"In addition to relief from national
stoppage in production through strikes
and lockouts there are proposals of
constructive and practical remedies
for these Irregularities which should
be investigated and which do not lead
to Socialism and destruction of the
| American freedom and initiative. For
instance, an extra annual storage of
20 per cent railway consumption would
equalize the seasonal ffuctnation.
Larger storage is possible by the rail-
ways at those times when public de-
mand for coal is slack, instead OF COM
petition by the railways themselves
with the public for coal, and thus for
| the use of cars, at the annual period
/ of car shortage. A system OF car dlsT
/ tribution that would not ITSELF break
into regular operation would help.
! ca l, YNIIhIIP HTlIlTIGS