The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-12-12
NATION MUST AVERT
FARCE IN INDUSTRY
SECRETARY OF LABOR SAYS
GOVERNMENT MUST HANDLE
INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES.


avert these futile, fatal appeals to
force in industry Secretary Davis OF
the Labor Department recommended to
congress today in his annual report
that the Cancellation machinery of the
Federal government be SO expanded as
to enable it to handle effectively
nationwide industrial disputes.
=" No better example of the futility
of these appeals to force can be
found" said the secretary than the
recent strike of the bituminous coal
miners. After months of suspended
Industry, the 100000 striking coal
miners returned to their work without
a single change having been effected
in wages or conditions of employment.
1t has been the experience of the De-
partment of Labor that disinterested
intelligent practical conciliatiOn is cap
able of ending many of these disputes
g 1t seems to me that before enact
ing any radical legislation or chang
ing the administrative scheme for
dealing with these strikes, we might
we'll consider the perfectng and ex-
TENSION of the machinery which has
proved so effective in the past.''
The secretary's report recommended
also a series of legislative enactments
on other subjects dealt with by his
department. He asked that the immi
grafton laws be revised to permit ex
animation and selection of prOspec-
tive immigrants at their ports OF de-
parture, and to make more stringent
the provisions of the Chinese Exclu
sion Act; the aliens resident in the
United States be enrolled and edu-
Gated in AmericaniSm that definite
action be taken through a constitu
tionaI amendment or otherwise to end
the employment of children as wage
earners; that juvenile offenders be
given a status in the federal courts
separate from that occupied by adults;
and that the federal employment SER
vice be enlarged to enable it to keep
a finger at all times upon the indus
trial pulse of the nation.
Mr.. Davis reviewed in detail the
part taken by the Federal government
toward the settlement of the rail and
coal strikes but expressed no opinion
regarding the merits of the two con-
troversies. He did refer, however, to
the debated question of the attitude
taken by the Association of Railway
Executives toward the railroad strike
settlement proposal of President Hard |
ing when it first was submitted to
them.
After two conferences said the
secretary in reciting the details of
dent submitted definite plan of
settlement The President then called /
in the late Mr.. T. Dewitt Cuyler,
chairman of the Association of Rail-
way Executives, who, l understand,
agreed to urge acceptance of the pro-
position submitted. 1t appears, how
ever, that when the plan was pre-
scented to the Association of Railway
Executives in New York, it was re-
jected.'
Continuing his discussion of strikes
which involved the interest If the
public on a large scale, Sec
retary Davis said that all thinker
have recognised for some years that
men who take an oath of office in
public service give up their right to
strike"
However,, there is a field in the
twilight zone between public employ
ment and private industry, generally
to as public utility or quasi
public service" the secretary con-
tinued. e 1t is in this classification
hat the railroads, the coal mines, and
other similar industries fall. The
President has we'll said that every
man has right to work as well as
the right not to work in any given
The right not to work in
or under conditions which
the individual considers improper can
not be abridged. There must be a
eompensating circumstance whenever
a limitation is set upon this freedom
Of action
In connection with his proposal for
enrolment of aliens, Secretary Davis
said:
ITO put across such a program
here must be method-a systematic
ind automatic means of bringing the
alien in contact with the government
n a friendly spirit of cooperation.
The alien should be acquainted with
he solicitude of the government as
o his individual welfare; the govern
nent must know the alien,
"I should strongly oppose any en-
ollment If it were to be conducted s
Is a system of espionage. 1t is how '
,ver, true that such an enrolment for 4
direction would automatl- r
ally bring to the notice of the govern t
nent those who actively resisted or t
government or are disposed &
o treat institutions of law and order 0
Along with his recommendation for q
|. seIective immigration law, enabling q
american inspectors to examine men
a1ly and PHYSICALLY all immigrants be- e
ore they sail for the United States, II
fr Davis asked for extentive enlarge x
nent in the immigration machinery a
n this country In many ways, the n
ecretary said, the present facilities II
or regulating immigration are made
uate The Ellis Island station at p
yew York, he said, usually has at g
east so per cent more business than "
is equipped to handle, while, the g
tation at Boston is " woefu11y made II
uate !" and that at Seattle is j.
kwardly located and should be re-
laced by a government owned build -
az. The station on Angel Island in tf