Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-01

jury lS.-IHcio
are signs that the average citizen Oh
| of the United States has grown mere
than a bit weary of the continual
conflict between capital and labor
and wants something done about 1t.
Like the fictional colonel from the
far West, the average citizen can be
pushed lust so far" and 1t would
seem that his limit has bee
reached.
Here are a few of the nigh spots
in industrial developments OF the
last five or six months that are
| arousing him to the necessity lot
action:
A coal strike that jeopardizes the
Interests and welfare of every man.
woman and child in the country a
railroad strike that threatens TO ue
|up OF cripple the transportation IN
dustry that is as vital to the natioh
as the circulatory system is 70 the
human body; in New England, al
most total paralysis OF the teXtl.e
Industry; in West Virginia, scores
of men have been On trial or noe
Indictment for reason and murder
as a result of of the civil wa1r thai
was the fruition of a cont1lct oe-
tween union miners and anti-unlon
| operators-a conflict no nearer set
| Element now than 1t was when u
was begun; in Chicago, hundreds OF
union officials and other labor cad
| ers have been arrested for melting
| or completely in riotous and an
archistic demonstrations growing
out of a controversy in the building
trades; in various states n Ieo-
| eral circuits the courts are cluttereo
up with injunction suits and actions
for damages growing out OF iaoor
| controversies of one kind or an
other: in Washington, the supreme
court has said for a second time tina
a law of the congress aimed at me
| evil of child labor Is unconstitutional
al and the President and his advisers
have fully two-thirds of their time
taken up with various phases OF the
| problem of how to restore industrial
peace; and, throughout the country
wherever workers come together,
there are heard caustic complaints
and criticisms, ominous mutterlngs
anc sinister threats.
Evidently there is something fun
damentally wrong in the relations
between capital and labor. just
what that something Is may be de-
batable, but there is a substantial
unanimity of opinion to the erect
that the only remedy lies in the as
sertion of governmental authority in
the public interest. This means reg
| ulation, which will be resisted by
both labor leaders and by most rep
Irecentatives of capital in the en-
ploying relation.
Anti strike Law Proposed
There are those who urge that
the initial step in this direction
should be an anti-strike law-one
with teeth in it," The obJection
to such a law is that II cannot be
enforced. AS long as labor is free,
mon cannot be compelled to work
against their will: If they are De
termined, Jail holds no terrors for
them. II they are sufficient in num-
bers there would not be enough jails
in the country to hold them and an
army of World Wal size would be
required to round them up and herd
them in stockades OF detention
lcamps. An anti-strike law. to be ef-
f~ectiye, must be enforceable in the
improbable but possible situation
where all the workers In every COM
munity and in all industries had
gone on strike.
In any event, what kind OF service
lis to be expected from men com.
PEELED to work against their Will. II
l IneTo COulo OC oaSA
Labor to be efficient and productive
must be free of coercion in any
form, and the wise employer recog-
mixes this and would not have work
ers in his plant who were not there
of their own volition.
To the suggestion that the anti
strike law be made applicable only
to public utilities and basic indus
tries and to employees in the public
service the reply is made that such
Legislation would be class legislation
of an especially Objectionable kind
Inevitably it would tend to create
either a favored class or an OPP
pressed class of workers, and would
drive workers either toward OF
away from such employments. Elk
ecutives who grow grey over tbs
problem of labor and work
ers who are always looking for 9
"tetter job" will get the force o.
This objection.
But If strikes and lockouts ate
not to be made unlawful can they
be made unnecessary and undesira'
BILE? Industrial experts answer this
Question in the affirmative. They
say hat 1t is only essential to create
lconditiona under which both factCri