Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1922-01-06
ARBITRATION AND INDUSTRIAL
COURTS


The average big and little town
newspaper throughout the nation has
paid many compliments to President
Harding for the ''masterful" manner
in which he suggested an industrial
court as a resort in which to settle
the disputes between capital and
labor.
Yes, it must have taken a wonder
full lot of thinking to have figured
such 'new" plan, especially so when
we stop to think that the plan was
discarded in England over 400 years
ago. If we take the word of many
papers we may yet learn that some
one has just discovered America, and
poor old Christopher Columbus may
yet get cheated of the glory by some
man who is elected to public office.
When Governor Allen established
his industrial court in Kansas, he was
heralded as a great man for having
thought out such plan land which
is proving big joke as there are
and have been more strikes in the
state of Kansas since that became a
law than at any previous time, ac-
cording to reports made by trade
unionists of that state), and Allen
was engaged for chautauqua plat
forms to tell the world" what great
Cd man he was. Now comes Pres-
dent Harding and he has discovered
it and he is great man for having
done the very thing which Allen was
given credit for.
While all of this noise is going on
in this country about the great and
near-great men which we have, Aus
tralia is Disguised with the same law
which is proposed in this country,
and they are making preparations to
abolish it as neither capital nor labor
is satisfied with it. It's very founda-
ton bespeaks serfdom and to that the
workers will not submit regardless of
how many can't strike laws are in eX-
istence. 1t is in direct opposition to
the guarantees of the constitution of
the United States.
The plan is one which the intent
Is to force the workers, whether or
ganiZed or unorganized to work for
a wage and under conditions regard
less OF whether or not they are salts
fled. And in its enforcement will
come the final test A man who by
compulsion is forced to labor at a
wage or under conditions not to his
liking, will in no sense be a content
ed workman, and when any set of
men become discontinued there will be
an expression of that feeling which
has been smoldering maybe for years
and years. If it has failed in eoun-
tries where freedom is not so gener-
ally recognized, then how can one ex-
pect it to be successful in land like
the United States where freedom is
the corner stone of the nation?
1t is not planned to make the cap
ltalist do anything, but rather to make
him the master of all which he sur
veys." Its sole purpose is to force
the worker into submission under the
guise that the publie's interest must be
protected. This raises the question
of who constitutes the public, and Just
where is this public when the employ
ers attempt to force a reduction upon
the workers, If this public which we
hear so much about has rights" then
1t must accept a duty, also. Rights
are conceded only under the obliga-
ton of duty. Whenever there is a
disagreement between a corporation
and its employees, the newspapers of
this country, with but few exceptions.
Immediately rush to press and endeay-
or to array this public against the
workers, regardless of the merits of
the case. 1t is generally assumed that
the man with the most money and the
greatest influence is at all times
night. His acts are not to be ones
toned, and the papers do all thew can
to create public opinion in that direc-
ton. What did the papers saw in he
half OF the steel strikers? What have
which the miners have had 70 VII,
and live in West Virginia? What did
they say that was favorable to the
railroad men in their recent controw re
ersyE What are they saying now in
%bo we oa me fe.p packing house employees
wage reduction, after having 3 had 4
thelr wages reduced several times
SINCE the war? Not a word, for the