, 1922-04-15
ooMpERs AND THE LANDS AWARD.

Samuel Gompers, president Of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor is now in Chicago" says the Chicago
Tribune, "for the purpose, among other things, of
opposing the lands award, under which building con-
~struction is now going on with better promise than
at any time in at least FIVE years. He believes 1t
to be unjust he says. His advice to the unions is
either to accept it or TO fight It tooth and nail.
The aged labor leader ovsrlooks several points.
The great majority Of the labor unions already have
accepted the award. OF those which have not ac-
cepted, the majority are repudiating their own
pledges. With the most Important exception Of the
carpenters, the building trades unions agreed to ar
bitrate their difficulties with Judge Lands as the
codrt Of final decision. They accepted him because
they recognized his well established reputation for
justice and fairness, and were convinced by his record
that he was not a reactionary or an enemy of labor
or Of the wage Garner. They agreed to abide by his
decision.
"when that decision was handed down, eliminat-
ing the restrictive rules of the unions and reducing
the wages of the workers according to their relative
skill and the difficulties and iregularity Of their
work. virtually all the unions protested. and several
Later some of them were brought into the fold. Some
put the personal views of their members above the
good faith of their organization, and refused to work
under the terms of the award.
"Now Mr.. Gompers tacitly approves such action
and suggests that It would be well for all the unions
to unite in Reputation of the award. By 80 doing
he strikes a heavy blow at the principle of arbitra-
ton of labor disputes. II the decision of an arbitsz
is not upheld by both parties to a dispute, arbitration
obviously is futile. Mr.. Gompers and those unions
which having accepted Lands as an arbiter still re
pudiate his decision, thus are attempting to destroy
one Of the fundamental principles upon which good
unionism is based.
"They say they are fighting the citizens commit
tee to enforce the Lands award. Perhaps they are
But in that they are fighting a creature of their
own making. The committee would never have beer
organized if the unions had abided by the decision
as they promised to do before it was made. II they
accept the award and go to work peacefully, as they
promised to do. the committee viii disintegrate be
cause there will be nothing for it to do.
"But If, on the other hand, the dissenting union
not only r~epudiate their agreement but fight it
operation with bombs, smuggling, and so forth, a
some Of them are doing. they will keep the com
mittee alive in the self-defense of those it represents
They will not only sacrifice the respect of the publi
for the individual unions involved, such as the plumb
ers, but will strike a staggering blow at union labo
in general. They are, in effect, putting their bomb
under union labor.
"Men who have the welfare Of union labor a
heart, and there are many good men who do, VII
do their best to stop these bombings and slugEiags
1t is crime of a more dangerous kind than ordinar
holdups and burglaries. 1t turns a presumably lcgi
innate organization into a criminal gang. Thus
reflects upon all similar organizations. The publ
will not tolerate it. Good detective work will dis
close the bombers and ~sluggers. The first principl
of good detective work-discovery of q motive
already clear. If the authorities cannot 60 ahead O
that basis to punish the guilty, the citizens can.
Bombing and smuggling have no proper part /
any legitimate union controversy. The fact tha
they are employed destroys the case of those re
s%ponsible. Arbitration has a proper part in any leg
innate union controversy. The former must b
punished, the latter upheld. Friends of the principl
of unionism in Chicago will see that this is done"