Evening star., 1923-09-10
CODE FOR SETTLING
GOAL FIGHTS URGED
- -.
~. S. Commission Says Pub
4 lie Otherwise viii Use Army
y
!. - or Prison to. Get Fuel.


G5E -
-Esta blishment of a hxed code for
settlement of coal and other. national
Industrial disputes was recommended
BY the United States Coal Commits
a!on in a report submitted today to
President Coolidge, Notwithstanding
the inherent rights possessed bv both
Sides In coal strike controversies, the
commission held, the necessity OF
coal 20 the general public makes 1t
Incumbent upon both operators and
Workers ito make some personal
Hacrifice in the interest Of the COM
mon veal"
4 The condition resembles the con-
hict between the definition in the
Declaration OF Independence concern
ing human rights and the then clear
iy constitutional right of human
slavery" the report said. The great
Enads of those arrav"d upon either
Sidc were unwiilii } compromise
or adjust II was permitted to go
on until the agony of a fraternal
var solved the problem. 1t is to be
hoped that we nave learned wisdom
by experience"
Terms Are Suggested.
Declaring 1t would be better for
the partic. pants themselves to work
out the exact terms of the code, the
commission set forth as the frame
work the following principles:
!. No contract Is. of any valid bind
lag force in America which has not
been freely and voluntarily entered
into.
2 The right of man to work
when, where, for whom and under
what conditions and at what wage
he chooses, so long as he elects to as
sert his Individual right, must never
be interfered with and the state
must furnish him protection and
peace while he exercises this right.
Right to Organize.
g. In free government men have
q right to combine themselves to-
gether into organizations for collec-
tive bargaining with reference to
terms and conditions under which
they will work; they must exercise
this right without force and intimi-
dation. and must not interfere with
the right of the man who chooses TO
dispose of his time individually.
4. Society has right TO fix lin
itation beyond which IL will not per-
nit either these de facto or de jure
organizations to go.
5. There is an implied duty upon
corporations Ito pay the humbiest of
its employees whois ablebodied. willing
and competent and who gives an hon
est days work, sufficient wage to
enable that person and his family to
live in accordance with the standards
of American life, and to pay in addi-
tion thereto for skill and experience
Public Demands Coal.
6. The general public has right
TO demand of its government that it
shall not freeze in the midst of an
abundance of coal Unless capital and
labor adopt methods that will furnish
TO the public coal when needed, IAN
outraged public sentiment will fur
nish the supply by either the Army
or the penitentiary."
Z. When contracts have been vol
unfairly entered into the industry
itself should provide boards of arbi-
tration, both local and appellate, to
speedily dispose of causes in accord
ance with the terms of the contract
and the principles herein set out
while the report dealt with the
coal industry generally, the commits
sion gave particular attention to the
present situation. Most of the in
dusfrial friction which has operated
and frequently resulted in violence
and bloodshed, the commission
ascribed to the following basic
causes:
Civil Rights to Citizens.
Disputes as TO what are popularity
known as the civil rights of Ameri-
can citizens.
Practical breach of these rights in
the industry, even when theoretically
acknowledged. ..-
Inappropriate application to pre-
sent conditions of principles enunci-
ated under totally different economic
conditions
Attitude of public opinion produced
by ancient grievances.
Lax administration of the law in
duced through fear, favor, affection,
malice, hatred or ill-will.
Unwise, even though lawful, inter
ference of strangers in local condi-
ttons.
The effect of universal suffrage
upon law administration.
Malice Is Not Found.
There is no intellectual dispute"
the commission reported, touching
tile academic proposition of the right
of a man TO run an open shop, nor
of the right of men to organize IoT
the purpose of collective bargaining.
tThe commission does not find, not
wtthstauoing many unfortunate oc-
currences, unlawful acts and unwise
statements that is is or has been the
ukimate object of the United Mine
Workers of America to unionize all
the mines by force if necessary Upon
gardleSs of unfortunate statements
and unlawful conduct. that it is the
flxed purpose of non-unlon operators
to destroy the United Mine Workers.
The commission chooses rather to
give those who are, from the mora
standpoint, whatever IL may be ON
the legal standpoint. charged with
violations of the law, the benefit OF
the doubt as to criminal intent"
analysis of any single unlawful act
would not serve, the commission said.
to give any Justification save as
such justification could be found in
the common and ordinary passion of
met force with force, to have fought
lire with Are.
Cites Herrin Disorder
The disorders at Herrin wele cited
as a case in point: without attempt
ing to .tiX responsibility, the commIs-
sion found the fatal outbreak at the
plant of the Southern Illinois Coal
Company to have been fostered by the
feVered state OF local public opinion
which had developed into a class
hatred"
There is no doubt that when the
promoter started to operate his mine
in defiance of the. union, he was invit-
ing mob violence and flirting with
DEATH" the report said. "Ee knew
1t and prepared to meet 1t. Those in
the mob undoubtedly believed 1t was
an attempt to return TO old condi-
rions before the mines had been
unionized.
There were of course fatal omis-
sionS of duty on the part of public
officials, and neither the officials nor
the public wanted troops to protect
the operator in his union n-destroying
operations. 1t might have been stop
ped by the sherlff, by the officers of
the miners union, by public Senti-