The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-05-09
Frederick Haskin's Letter
fsnesal correspondepce of The ArxusA
LABOR BOARD FOR COAL INDUSTRY
ispeciAl Correspondence Of The Al

= ten petition of not less than ION
unorganized or non-union employees
who are directly interested in fha
dispute in question; or, third. the
board may act on its own initiative
if it is of the opinion that the dis
pute is likely substantially IN in
terrupt commerce" The board NAV
thus act in any dispute with re-
spect to wages, hours of labor and
other working conditions.
The board, once it has taken iur-
isdiction in acase, must render its
decision within 60 days, unless this
! period is extended by agreement of
: the parties, and there can be no de-
! cision by the board except bv the
concurrence of at least five of the
nine members, and at least one
member of the public group must
/ join in the deasioB.
No Penalty to Enforce Decisions
No penalties are provided for vio-
/ lations of the decisions of the labor
board. When the transportation act
was under consideration in con-
gress this question of creating A
board without giving it power To
enforce its DEGREES was debated at
length. but in the end it was de-
cided wisest to leave such persons
as would not abide by the decis-
ions of such tribunal subject only
to the condemnation and approbri-
I'm that would be visited upOn
them by public opinion. In the ex-
perienCe of the railroad labor
board only one or two of its de
crees have been evaded or defied.
and it is believed that public opin-
ion can be as eficaciOus in enfOrc-
ing labor boards decision as any
penalties in the form of fines that
might be provided.
The board, however, does have
authority to compel the appear
ance of witnesses and the produc-
ton of papers and documents. ANY
member may require by subpoena
the attendance of any witness and
the production of any book, paper, y
document or other evidence from
any place in the United States at
any designated place of hearing,
and in case Of failure to comply
with any subpoena, or in case OF
the contumacy of any witness ap-
pearing before it, the board nav
invoke the aid of any United States
district court. Such court may
thereupon order the witness to
comply with the requirements Of
the subpoena, or to testify, and any
failure to obey such an order may
be punished as contempt of court
in the usual manner. Witnesses
are also liable to prosecution and
for perjury committed
in testifying before the board
Any person who upon demand Of
any member or duly authorized
of the board shall
refuse access to and the right to
copy any book. account, record, pa
per or correspondence relating to
any matter which the board is in
veStigating is subject to a penalty
Of $500 fine for each such offense.
In addition to the settling of dis
putes the Kenyon bill gives the
labor board the following
additional broad functions:
Shall investigate and study the
relations between operators and
their employees, particularly ques-
tons relating to wages, hours OF
labor, and conditions and regular
ty of employment; shall gather.
compile, classify, digest and pub
fish from time to time, data and
relating to such ques-
ions to the end that the labor
BOARD may be properly equipped to
perform its duties under this act
and that the public may be proper
y informed; and shall institute
measures to stabilize the industry
md regularize employment"
If the bill should become a law
With this provision in it, the ma
ional coal mining board would
lave bigger job on its hands than
las ever been turned over to any
similar tribunal, and more power
md latitude to act than has ever
'een entrusted to any group of men
.ealing with industrial relations.
t would be possible for the board
o make a complete survey Of the
:oal industry and give the public
i 1.-The facts that are so essential
o the formation of an intelligent
'ublic opinion as to what should
he done in crises like the one pre-
ipitated by the strike on April 1.
1t would also be possible for the
'oard to institute measures that
you'd reVolutionize the entire in
ustry which is admittedly in a bad
way as a result of being OveT-man-
led and over-mined. and in a con-
tant state of turmoil over the IN
OniZation problem.