Evening star., 1928-02-12

is declared further to be part of said policy TO
encourage the peaceable and orderly ascertain
mcnt Of the true facts In all industrial situations
coming within Federal cogniZance and thus to
promote the use of rational and lawful methods
in the settlement Of controversies arising out OF
such industrial situations.
"ro that end and with that objective. provision
Is herein made for the legal efectuaion OF agree.
merts containing provisions for arbitration ard
for the establishment OF national 1ndStrla!
council constituted as hereinafter provided and
having the duties hereinafter enumerated"
X X X X
In order to nil IN the manner hereinafter pro-
vided" portions of the platform. the committee OF
the American Bar Association will open hearings
in New York next Wednesday, and at these near
ings there are expected to appear representatives
of such organizations as the Chamber OF Com
merce of the United States. the National Associa-
ton of Manufacturers, National Industrial Coun-
Gil as we'll as representatives OF the various big
labor organizations. So far as the platform as a
whole is concerned. not much trouble is antIcl-
pated. In fact, the American Bar Association Is
to be commended for its strategy In thus select
ing common ground upon which there Is lttc or
no disagreement, and from 1t to proceed slowly
toward more treacherous territory which Is noted
for the quicksand and other hazards that 1t con-
tains. Another point to be remembered Is That
the platform has been formulated by the Amer
ican Bar Association and was not nailed together
either in the Offices of the American Federation
OF Labor or in the dens OF the capitalists in Wall
Street. or wherever 1t is that capitalists have
their dens While the American Bar Association
may be more representative OF the employer gro'ip
than OF the organized workers, IL can ne ser QoWn
as a neutral body. far as its present proposals
arc concerned, and 1t offers them with no Interior
motives. Both the representatives OF labor and OF
capital may come before 1t harboring no sus-
picion or distrust OF being made the Victims In
some new game
It can be set down as generally accepted by
both labor and capital that compulsory arbitra-
ton. in addition to the fact that 1t has not
worked satisfactorily where tried Is un-American
In principle and opposed to the American con-
ception OF freedom of contracts and of free in
dustrial relations. Compulsory arbitration means
what 1t says-it applies compulsion both to emf
ployer and to employe, and Is wanted by neither
OF them. On the other hand. arbitration, accord
ing to all persons OF sane mind Is a more intelli-
gent method OF settling disputes than that which
company unions and all the other paraphernalia
of force which settle nothing except that there Is
waste and bad feeling as result. Now. II neither
side wants compulsory arbitration. and II there Is
Is nothing in the wide world to prevent voluntary
arbitration at present what does the American
Bar Association hope to accomplish through Its
program?
The meat OF the matter lies in the proposal to
give collective agreements TO adjust disputes
pcaceably more clearly defined standing In tho
law and to make them enforceable without all OF
the tircsome litigation and delays which now
stand as such great obstacles In the way Of arb-
tration Heretofore, and at present. the law oi
decisions Of the courts that they have little force
They are violated with impunity on both sides,
court will hold that an employer has right to
a free and unimpeded flow Of labor. Another
court will decide that labor has q right to free
and unimpeded now OF employment. There are