The New York herald., 1922-05-05
Insists Working Men Will
Be Able to Correct Evils
by Own Initiative.
SPARS WITH UNTERMYER
Friend Escorting Labor Leader
to Train Gets Into Battle
at Station.

|
Samuel Gompers, veteran head of
the American Federation of Labor
told the Lockwood legislative commit
tee yesterday that to introduce such
legislation as is contemplated by the
committee to remedy labor abuses
would be to set the world back 200
years. He argued that to fix the
status Of men by law was impossible
and stuck to his previously expressed
conviction that the remedy must come
from within the American labor move
ment itself.
Mr.. Gompers finished his testimony
by expressing adherence to the theory
that no power ever was ceded to the
courts to declare any statute con-
stitutional or otherwise. He approved
of a written Constitution only as a
guide and held that Congress had the
corrective power of repeating conflict
| ing legislation. He would not tear the
Constitution up, but reminded the
committee that other countries that
did not have written constitutions had
managed to safeguard themselves. Mr..
Gompers was born in England. where
there is no written constitution. but
where the validity Of legislation is
established by precedent.
! One OF the dramatic moments OF the
day was when Samuel Untermyer, af-
Ger informing Mr.. Gompers OF the ar
rogant attitude OF the Jewish Bakers
Unions toward the employers and their
insIstence in demanding the right OF coli
lective bargaining for themselves while
denying II TO the employers, asked:
Have you any way on Gods earth
OF correcting that ~"
There is no way" replied Mr.. Com
pers.
Some Abuses "IndefensibIc."
Confronted once more by Mr.. Inter
| myer with the abuses in the building
| trades as they have been exposed by
the committee and with these supple
mented by those disclosed on Wednes-
day in the Jewish baking unions Mr..
Gompers admitted that several of them
were 'indefensible." He declared that
the policy Of reprisals practiced by the
journeymen bakers upon the masters
was "shortsighted." and a letter was
read characterzing the doctrine of col
lective bargaining as "unimpeachable" ="
Yet Mr.. Gompers had no remedy to Of
fer except such as would come by
processes of evolution and he was not
prepared to say how long that would
| take. He believed in collective bargain
ing for employees, but not always for
the employers
Mr.. Gompers was on the witness stand
all day and his examination ran the
gamut from an academic discussion of
the Constitution and the courts, in
which Mr.. Gompers has little faith. TO
considerations of the internal affairs Of
labor unions. At times Mr.. Gompers
revealed what the committee members
and counsel regarded as glaring incon-
sistencies. He advocated recourse TO the
courts for anything that would enlarge
the scope of influence of organized labor.
But he objected to the courts interfer-
ence In any way with what he regarded
as the sole perogatives OF Tie unions.
At one point in his examination when
the suggestion OF a limited regulation Of
labor unions was made to him Mr.. Com
pers, with a foresinger pointed at Mr..
| Untermyer. declared: You won't do IL"
The tone and gesture caused Mr.. I'm
termyer to ask whether the witness
meant to convey a threat. Mr.. Com
pers said that he did not. but that he
only intended to warn the committee
that the legislation referred 10 could not
be enforced even IL II was passed. which
he thought extremely doubtful.
Mr.. Gomperss testimony was inter-
spersed with frequent philosophic OBJ
servations regarding Wall street finan-
ciers. lawyers. the principle Of self-pre-
servation. economics ald other topics.
Denies Fair Deal In Courts.
Mr.. Gompers produced a copy OF 'sThe
Moral Overstrain,' work published
by George w Alger sixteen years ago
lie cited a chapter In support OF his con-
tention that II was impossible Cor labor
TO get a fair deal in the courts. The
book. he said. had been presented TO him
by the late Theodore Roosevelt.
Mr.. Gompers justified reduction In
the number Of hours IN the working day
by the unions after the installation OF
machinery on the ground that the bene-
fits accruing from the installation OF
machinery should .be shared by labor.
Mr.. Gompers. his secretary. Guy Oys-
ter, and a friend OF Mr.. Gompers left
the Continental Hotel early this morning
and went to the Pennsylvania Station.
where Mr.. Gompers boarded a train for
Washington. When they reached the
station Mr. Gompers's friend asked n
stranger TO direct them TO the train, and
when the man started to do so he asked
him where he thought he was leading
them. The stranger resented the tone
and remark and promptly smashed Mr..
Gomperss friend over the head with an
umbrella. The fight ragged for short
time, attracting a large crowd. before
MIR. Gompers succeeded in restoring
peace.