Norwich bulletin., 1922-09-26
Humanity in Government
BY James J. Davis, Secretary Of Labor
Peacemakers in Industry.

By James J. Davis, Secretary Of Labor |
Peacemasers In Industry.
Peace in industry is condition pre-
eedent to all prosperity in America. In |
dustrial strife means a loss to all, no |
matter how small the number of per- |
sons directly affected and no matter how
.unimportant the enterprise involved |
Not only the welfare of the wage earn
er. but the welfare Of the employer and
the welfare of the whole American pub
lie is touched when men quit work in a
controversy with those who employ
employers in profits, and the whole ma
ton in the service to which it is enti-
tied from the industry. In its task OF
safeguarding the welfare Of the wage
Garner, and in its duty to the whole
country, the department of labor
through. the division Of Cancellation, d.
| rected BY the secretary Of labor, endeav-
ors to preserve peace in industry. Au-
thority for this work Is derived from the
act creating the department. which pro-
| yddes that the secretary of labor shall
have power to act as mediator and to
appoint commissioners of Cancellation I'M
labor disputes, whenever in his Judgment
the interests Of industrial peace may re-
quire 1t to be done
Industry in America bears a close re
lationshfp to every individual In the
country. Il Is so closely woven into the
! fabric Of our everyday life that any
| thing that irterferes with the normal
course of industry seriously interferes
| with the welfare Of all Of our people.
The public in every instance is more or
| less of party in interest 70 every in
! dustrdal dispute. The purpose OF the de-
partment Of labor is, through It's indus
| trial peacenakers in the Cancellation SER
vice, to encourage full measure Of pro
! duction, preserve the welfare of the
wage-earner. and treat the employer
fairly. Contented and satisfied workers
mean efficiency in industry and insure
better returns to both capital and la
Dor Capital is entitled to just re-
| turn on its investment and labor Is en-
titled to a Just return for its work Both,
II they secure these returns, go hand in
hand to increase the wealth Of the world
by production and to insure greater COM
fort to the whole people.
| 1t has been the policy of the labor de-
partment not to inject itself into labor
disputes SO long as the employers and
employees are making progress toward
reaching an agreement, unless requested
to by one of the parties to the dispute
or by the public directly affected. The
department has taken the position that
the best settlement Of any industrial
controversy is that reached by the par
ties themselves, without outside interior
ence. Next in order of preference comes
i the settlement by mediation or concilia :
ton and finally the settlement by ar
bitration, af both sides can agree to
leave the decision in the hands of a
third party.
j When the conci1iation service began
its work, 70 per cent Of the disputes in
which its intervention was sought. had
already reached the strike stage. Re
4 Gently conditions have so improved and
the services of the department have been
so generally recognized, that less than
80 per cent Of the cases before the ser
vice have reached the point where work
was suspended.
! The function of the department of la
Dor officials in any labor dispute is pure
~ that Of peacemakers. The depart
rnent has no authority to make and
award or hand down decision AND then
demand that the parties TO the contro-
versy abide by it. The eonciliators have
no judicial function. Their work is en-
J tirely diplomatic. They are industrial
peacemakers endeavoring to get the
contending parties together, in order
that the interests affected may them
selves solve their own problems Draw
ing on their fund Of wide experience
; they suggest methods and alternatives
) which have proved successful in Other
) instances and which will tend to brinl
: about a renewed peaceful relationship
! between employer and employee The de.
e partment does not endeavor to impose
s its ideas upon either employer OF work
t er but seeks to find a basis of just set
1 tIement that will be acceptable to botl
! sides, even though it may not be entire
r ly satisfactory to either. It has beer
$ found that this policy, faithfully pur
sued. results in a better feeling between
employers and employees when a eontTo
versy is terminated. Through its opera
4 tion barriers that keep employers an,
: employees apart have been removed, AM
= the way cleared for better relations AM
I a clearer understanding of the respes
I tive rights and obligations of the partie
s Involved.
! The department Of labor has, in tn
: nearly ten years of existence, built up
staff of conciliators especially qualifie
for their delicate task. Many of tn
commissioners have been drafted .fror
business, professional and industrial
life. Some have been managers of larg
corporations, some have been govern
fnent offcfals and some have been lead
i ers In organized labor.
n The work of the conciliator cannot b
a successfully conducted by set rules Q
regulations. He works by rule c
l. thumb The elements entering eto
8 trade dispute are never exactly the sam
IT as those that have been met in sim
= lar controversy. The conciliator mus
IS meet each situation in the manner be.
r calculated to bring the contendihg pal
lie ties together. II he can get both en-
N ployer and employe to sit down aroun
" the council table and discuss their dt
Z. ferences man to man he has woE MOI
10 than half the battle. For experience he
7e lshown that no matter how great the dd
le ferences may be between men. il the
~ win get together and talk over the
ri disagreement, obstacles which seeme
q impossible may quickly be overcome.
!. The Cancellation work of the depar
: tne1it has gradually become more ar
more recognized factor In America
: industrial life as experience has demon
4 strated the effectiveness OF its Mediate
.. in avoiding strikes, or in bringing
- quick settlement Of disputes where won
has already been suspended. Labor h;
= discovered that it has d standing re
!. ognized by the government whenever
- demands are baeed on Industrial al
~ ~ cohstitutioIai rights. Employers on Il
N other hand, have found that the depaS
= nent viii protect them from unjust al
IS unreasonable exactions. In almost &
V the c8sas where the Cancellation servi
90 has aeted, there has been found a I'll
no spirit Of cooperation on the Fart Of Boz
Ut workers and employers.
ve1 The success OF the concilistion met
70 DDS Of the department IL adequate
ns den10nstf4Aed By the record OF dtsput
ee IN W1ifch the good Offices Of the depaf
3fnent through comm sfoner's OF toncffi