Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-06-20
LABOR MEETS WITH REVERSE

washington, June 20s-Orgsnized
labor has met with serious reverses
during the past year. This has been
shown by the record OF events. which
include wage reductions all along the
line and adverse court actions ana
decisions This has been admitted
during the deliberations OF the labor
leaders during the annual meeting OF
the American Federation OF Labor at
Cincinnati.
Az ono observer has put II, labor IL
now fighting a rearguard action. mat
is TO say, Il is retreating but contest
ing every foot OF ground 1t yields ana
endeavoring 10 prevent the retreats
becoming a panic and q rout. Thus
far It may be said 20 have marshalled
its forces In good order, but II IN
automatic that n retreating army does
not grow in numbers or in strength
and IL Is apparent that tho leaders
from Gompers on down the line. are
gravely concerned over the outlook.
This IL not TO be taken as meaning
that there Is any likelihood Of a gem
eral breaking up Of labor organiza-
tons, or that what is known as the
labor movement may be permanently
checked. But 10 does indicate that
labor has had TO give up advantages
once gained and that Il must now pre-
pare TO resist attacks against which
heretofore Il has felt Itself to DO i'm
mune.
Labor emerged from tho war in a
highly satisfactory position, from its
own viewpoint. Distinct advances
had been achieved Wage levels were
higher than they had ever been be
for. Hours Of labor had been reduced
generally. with the eight-hour day
and the 44-hour week established In
many trades and industries. Punitive
overtime--pay at the rate Of one and
a half times or even twice the regular
scale for every hour worked in ad-
.dition 10 the fixed workday-had come
, to be accepted as labor's due. Col
lective bargaining WAS no longer ar
empty phase. Membership In th'
unions had grown by leaps and bounds
and their treasures were full II
= OVHTION4TRs 'tfAb AllNFi ITO AADtlelA va
said TO have over s7,500.000 in It's re
= serve fund.
Sought 70 Hold Gains.
Naturally the men in the forefron
OF the labor movement were keen 4
hold these gains and their post-wa
plans were all to that end. They di
not expect to maintain war wages. bu
they did believe that the principle 0
the living wage as A minimum for a.
= workers, with differentials for skill
: experience and hazards Of employ
s ment, had been 80 securely establishe
J, that there would never be a return t
o old wage levels However. the
? reckoned without the business de
q preston that came and persisted, an
o when they lost the steel strike tia
II was called IN September, 1919, and er
countered vigorous governmental ir
- tervsntion in the coal strike OF NJ
!, vernber following. their cause and the
:, plans may be said TO have receive
a setback.
IN the transportation industry the
lost the national agreement ss
rules and working conditions, whic
had been negotiated with the Raj
Re road Administration during FEEDER
d. control, and certain groups OF raj
d way workers lost the extra pay Z
g. overtime over eight hours a day.
'r But Il has been IN the courts thi
labor has met with what may prov
,e 10 be it's most serious reverses. With
s. the asst year the injunction has bee
IL used against the unions as never b
a fore. particularly N West Virgini
p where restraining orders Of the mo
sweeping character have been Issue
;, against the United Mine Workers {
: the plea of the anti-unIon operator
The union has been restraining fro
- sending organizers into the indepen'
- emit fields and from making al
d effort 10 organize the miners Their
20 Under the court orders union rleetin
ct can not ms held and union membe
80 can not even discuss the union vi
IL miners who are not identified with :
e? organization. Also suits FOR damag
r. have been brought by operate
~ against union officials and members
ey In only one instance has lab
he sought 70 use. the Injunction agar
n employers. That came as an unexpeC
-. ed development Of q controversy
e. the garment making industry IN NJ
20 York. when the union secured a COT
order restraining the employers frC
breaking a contract which had be
entered into with the union. and "
so singularly successful that it "
'e thought labor might undertake
IL make frequent use Of the weapon
80 often used against Il. However, IN
ia leaders are so vehemently opposed
IT. the injunction in Industrial dispu
that II seems they will not seek 70
ON it even when IL might be 70 their
an vantage.
h. Jolts from the Supreme Court
'Ss First Of a series Of jolts which
ne Dor received in the Supreme CO
> OF the United States was the decis
M holding the secondary boycott 70
Illegal. That was not regarded as
vii, tai TO the cause Of the workers,
the nevertheless Il was a defeat. T.
her came the decision declaring the 7
ich child labor Jaw 20 be unconstitutio
e. The unions had fought long 20
lies some kind OF = law regulating
ses abolishing child labor. and their he
the in that direction have now been "
, q blasted by the highest court in
the land.
The more recent decision of the
preme Court IN the Coronado case
the most signal defeat that labor
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