The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-05
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC ,. HAsKIN. Director.
Washington. d. Q.
NEEDED IN LABOR

Washington. D. c.. Aug. 2.-Toler-
ance is a virtue too little practfced in
labor disputes by the parties directly
concerned and by the public which
suffers inconvenience, hardship or &C
tuaI loss as a result OF the contro-
versies. Incorporate condemnation
of one side by the other or by out
siders is altogether too common.
Facts are misstated or distorted thru
passion. Opinions are based on pre1u-
dices rather than on Information and
sound judgment and conclusions are
formed that are premature and Ill
advised.
These are statements made by a
man whose profession has brought
him into close contact with the con-
flicts between capital and labor for
several years. He went on to say that
one of the great needs of the present
time is not only a better understand
ing between employer and employed
but better understanding by the
public of the problems of industrial
relations. In fact, until an enlight-
ened and sound public opinion has
been established there Is little hope
for anything even approximating per-
manent industrial peace
Hence it is urged that the citizen
who is sufficiently interested to dis
cuSs the railroad strike or the coal
respect thereto. should take pains to
inform himself as to the essential
facts in connection with these great
labor conflicts. The fact that he has
been inconvenienced by the disloca-
ton in the transportation industry
does not justify the conclusion that
either railway workers or railway
arrangements are wholly at fault.
Nor does his finding himself with an
empty coal bin with winter at hand
warrant an off-hand judgment against
either the miners or the operators
In any event, danlnipg and execrating
one side or the other will not help him
nor anybody else.
officials who are dealing directly with
these controversies is another evil OF
which complaint is made, as it mill
tates against the creation of that in
should support those in authority.
These officials are condemned for in
action or for whatever action they
may take, and all this without rhine
or reason.
Presidents Trying Position.
For example, President Harding's
position with respect to the rail, anc
coal strikes is especially difficult and
trying. According to their persRnal
prejudices people denounce him Nfor
favoring labor or capital or for failure
to adopt extreme measures that aR-
peal to the individual as highly de-
sirable and efficacious. How OFTEN IS
the expression heard, I'D like to be
in Harding's place about twenty-four
hours-'Pd show emf And how sell
dom have those who indulge in such
expressions thought out ways and
means of doing what they advocate or
considered all the possible conse-
Quences!
Taking over the railroads or the
mines, or making men work against
their will, or putting an end to law!ess
outbreaks, are talked about as if they
were simple tasks that the president
could undertake and dispose of any
morning between appointments with
his cabinet ministers. Settling strikes
is discussed as If it could be accom-
plished by executive fiat. Using the
army is advocated as If it were mere
matter of calling out the police re-
serves to quell a near-riot among base
ball fans.
Most unTeasoning and unreasonable
of all, structures are passed upon the
president that are predicated on the
assumption that he is Indifferent and
uniformed. As a matter of fact he
could not be indifferent If he so de-
sired and no one is in a position to
be so well informed as he is. This is
not only true of Mr.. Harding. but it
would be true of any man who occu-
pied the executive chair.
Taking sides is characteristic Of
the American people. They do it in
sports, in politics, in religion and par
ticularly in labor controVers. es, and
there is nothing half-hearted in the
way they do it. Having Sespoused
cause or an idea the average man
wants the wide, wide world to know
that he is right, why he is right. and
what he thinks of the other side. He
is a free thinker and he believes and
INDUCES in free speech He is so GER
tain of his own convictions and opfn-
ions that he has little respect and
less tolerance for those of others.
Examples of Prejudice.
A man of great responsibilities IN
the Industrial world once INDUCED in
a TRADE against labor unions in gen.
eral and labor leaders in particular.
He was so vitriolic and so sweeping
In his denunciation that one Of his
hearers finally asked him if t were
possible that there were no good men
among labor leaders. Profoundly
serious and with measured words the
captain of industry replied: THE
only good Indian is a dead Indian!"
On the other hand. man who has
been at the head of one of tho largest
of the labor unions declared within
the last few days that the newspapers
were in a virtual conspiracy to mis-
represent labor's cause to the pubic
and were constantly distorting the
news in order to create a popular
sentiment adverse TO labor and TO the
unions.
IF anything happens that IS favor
able to US you never see a word about
it in the papers, he said. THE press
associations won't carry the story
and the papers won't print it"
All employers and all leaders of Ia
Dor are not so blindly prejudiced as
these two men, otherwise the only
way capital and labor would ever be
brought together would be in head
on collision. Unfortunately. however.
these two men are multiplied many
times in the industrial world, thereby
adding immeasurably to the difficult
ties of those who seek to preserve
peace or to reconcile differences once
open conflict has been precipitated.
Everyone who has undertaken the
role of mediator or arbitrator in a la
Dor dispute knows only too well that
there are two sides to every case, and