Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-08-01
REMEDY SOUGHT FOR LABOR STRIFE
BY Frederic J. Haskin

and tho right TO an eiRht~hour day
or some restriction upon the hours of
labor. Women In industry should or
shorid not have the right 70 the same
pay sA men for ths same or equivalent
service. Employment Of children un-
der certain age In mines and mills
should or should not be permitted. Tho
public should or should not be pro-
tected against Interruptions in indus
try growing out Of controversies be-
tween capital and labor.
Organic Law Of Industry.
Whatever is ethioally. socially and
economically just and Wise with re-
spoct TO each OF these questions should
be clearly defined and promulgated as
the organic law Of Industrial relations.
land this organic law or code should
be accepted and enforced as the basis
Iof oil employment and the adjust
ment Of all differences between capital
and labor.
| IL the unions are useful and law
ful, say the experts. then that fact
should be established and universally
recognized, There should be no de-
nial or abridgement Of that right A
situation such as has prevailed in
West Virginia. for example, ls re-
garded as preposterous. There in
certain coal fields the miners have had
absolute freedom 10 Join their union.
while in other fields they are not only
ldenied employment II they arc union
members but they dare not hold meet
llngs to consider the organization of
In local or even discuss the union
Iquestion. one with another. Surely
whatever rights in this respect ara
lenjoyed by one Of these groups ~
miners should not he denied the other.
Furthermore, the fact that dissension
over this question led 20 civil war in
West Virginia Is cited as proof that
II would be for the best interest Of
Everybody concerned to have this
question Of the right 10 organize set
tied one way ar the other, beyond al
Question and for all tims 10 come.
Similarly the case may be made fo~
flll the fundamentals IN industrial re-
, lations.
Without such an Industrial code ~
is pointed out, arbitrations Of labor
disputes become mere trading affairs
II IS all very well TO say that arbitra-
, ton means a settlement on the basis
, of what is sound and just, but what
is the rule or yardstick with which 20
measure what is sound and just
, Different arbitrators win have diff
. ferent ideas, II the determination Il
: solely a matter Of opinion Confdence
in courts is not based upon confidence
in the integrity and wisdom n the
Judges bat rather upon the fact that
J, the judges are governed by an or
ganic law. by precedents and by a
= procedure that IS universal IN Hs
: duplication.
Such in substance Is tho case thai
!, is being made for the establishment
OF an Industrial code in these trvins
y DAYS OF almost constant strife betweel
capital and labor. President Hardini
himself has advocated such a cod
: and there are evidences OF a grow
: ing popular belief that strikes an.
? lockouts can be made unnecessary an.
undesirable when both labor and cap
y itaI have the assurancs that the,
" differences will be adjusted by trlh
!" unal in which they have confidencs
on the basis OF certain rules OF prir
20 ciples that they know 10 be fair an
that are applicable TO all workers an
TO all employers.