Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-01
SOUGHT FOR LABOR
STRIFE IN THIS COUNTRY

in the industrial equation dio Ac-
sured of a square deal ana a ialI
deal, and the adjustment upon that
basis of the differences Which Ihey
II n settle by and for themselves.
These experts advocate the estao-
lishment of an industrial code which
defines the fundamental principles
governing all relations in all indus
try. Every community, every lndus-
try, and every plant. presents PROB
lens in employment that are pecpl-
lar to itself, but there are certain
phases of the relations between en-
plcyer and employed that are unl-
versal and basic and with respect TO
which there should be" rules or prin-
ciples that are basic and universally
accepted and applied.
Workers either should or should
not have the right to organize In
trade-unions, the right of collective
bargaining, the right to a LIVING
wage, and the right to an eight
hour day OF some restriction upon
the hours of labor. Women in in
dustry should or should not have
tho right to the same pay as men
for the same or equivalent service.
Employment of children under
a certain age in mines and
mills should or should rot be per-
mitted. The public should or should
not be protected against Interrupt
tons in industry growing out OF con-
troversies between capital n labor.
Organic Law Of Industry
Whatever is officially, socially and
economically just and wise with re-
spect to each of these questions
should be clearly defined and prom
ulgated as the organic law Of indus
trial relations, and this organic law
or code should be accepted n en-
forced as the basis Of all employ
ment and adjustment OF all differ
ences between capital and labor.
II unions are useful and lawful,
say the experts, then that fact
should. be established and univer-
sally recognized. There should be
no denial or abridgement of thai
right. A situation such as has pre-
vailed in West Virginia, for example,
is regarded as preposterous. There
in certain coal fields the miners have
had absolute freedom to join their
union, while in other fields they are
NOT only denied employment if they
are union members, but they dare
not hold meeting to consider the
| organization of a local or even dis
| cuss the union question. n with
another. Surely whatever rights
in this respect are enjoyed by one
of these groups of miners should not
be denied the other. Furthermore,
the fact that dissension over this
question led to civil war In west
| Virginia is cited as proof that 1t
! would be for the best interests OF
everybody concerned to have this
question of the right to organize
settled, one way or the other, be-
yond all question and for all times
to come. Similarly the case may be
made for all the fundamentals in in
dustrial relations.
Without such an industrial code,
| IT is pointed out, arbitrations OF IA
Dor disputes become mere trading
affairs in which the better trader
trlumphs. 1t is all very we'll to say
that arbitration means a settlement
| on the basis of What is sound and
Just, but what is the rule or yard
| stick with which to measure Wna1
is sound and just? Different ar
| bitrators will have different ideas
If the determination Is solely a mat
ter of opinion. Confidence in courts
is not based upon confidence in the
INTEGRITY and wisdom of the judges
but rather upon the fact that the
Judges are governed by an organic
law, by ~precedents and by a pro
cedure that is universal in Its apph-
cation.
Such in substance is the case that
Is being made for the establishment
of an industrial code in these try
ms days of almost constant strife
between capital and labor. Presf.
dent Harding himself has advocated
such a code and there are evidences
of a growing popular belief that
strikes and walkouts can be made
unnecessary and undesirable when
beth labor and capital have the as
surance that their differences viii
be adjusted by a tribunal in which
they have confidence, on the basis
of certain rules or principles tna'
they know to be fair and that are
applicable to all workers and to al
-.