Evening star., 1922-08-26
FINANCE AND TRADE
CONDITIONS.
Continued from Thirteenth Page.)

under system Of compulsory arbitra
ton.
I'm view of these facts, it seems to
me that the public will not at present
take seriously the claim of the labor
leaders that compulsory arbitration
applied even to industries operated
Tor profit Is necessarily slavery. If
II were to apply to all Industries or
II tnere were not group of men per-
lectiy willing to work on the rail-
roads public utilities and coal mines
under Il system of compulsory arbi
tration. then there might be some
Justice in the slavery argument. To-
day. however. railroad men are per-
rectly free to go into other lines of
activity for which no compuls sorry
arbitration is suggested, while hum
/ dreds of thousands of men are willing
to work for the railroads, public
utilities and even the coal operators
under compulsory arbitration sys-
tenn How will such compulsory
system be put in operation in CON
nection with the railroads, public
utilities and mines? Possibly the
people will be so irritated that Con-
gress VIII with one swoop apply the
Kansas industrial court idea to the
railroads. public utilities and mines.
hope, however. this will not be done.
The. need of the hour is to have
workers feel right. We shall never
have efficiency and reduction in the
cost Of living until those engaged in
industry feel right toward their work.
People never feel right when forced
to do anything against their better
judgment. Hence my forecast is as
follows:
Not Compulsory Now.
THE Railroad Labor Boards rul-
ings will not now be made compul
| sorry as to the present employees. but
they will be compulsory on every
eXploye who goes to work for the
railroads after a certain date. Those
employees who are now at work for
the railroads came on free. com
petitive basis and have done falthful
work. Although theoretically they
can change to some other JOB. yet
practically they cannot. They know
the railroad business and this is all
they do know. and it isn't fair to say
they can quit at their present time of
life and enter new field OF work
Therefore ! say that unless these
present employees viii voluntarily
come under the compulsory arbitra-
ton system they should be free to
continue as at present But every
additional man hired will be hired
with the distinct understanding that
he will conform to the decisions or
the Railroad Labor Board. as must
the stockholders Of such corporations.
This would be perfectly fair and
would bring about a result which
would be gracefully accepted by all
in the course of time. Under this
system it would take a few years to
bring about the desired result. but
we would rapidly approach it from
year to year. and when adopted IT
would have the full cooperation of
all concerned. This is my forecast
of the way that the problem will ulti-
mately be worked out. Then there
will be no more strikes on our rail
roads, nor in connection with the
public utilities. mines. etc, when the
same method is extended to include
them also.
"The Babson chart continues to re-
fleet existing conditions with remark
able accuracy. 1t now stands at
per cent below normal Were it not
for the strike situation of the past
few weeks it would be much higher.
Nevertheless. the tide has turned for
the better and business will be hetter
this fall than last, in spite of the
strikes"