The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-01-27

THE outstanding boast of our ''scienti
are entirely collective" in their st
they tell us--in spirit of complete
effort under the circumstances cannot,
/ of course, be anything but impartial,
scientific"
"POstpOning Strikes" is just such a
scientific" study. Evidence of its
"impartiality" begins with the first
sentence of the first chapter: Chow
can continuous service in public utility
industries be secured?" the author
asks. SIS it possible to discover a
method in the United States for the
adjustment of industrial disputes on
railroads, on municipal traction sys
TENS, in coal mines and other basic
industries. ?"
The charter of the Russell Sage
Foundation states it's aim as: "The
Improvement of social and living con-
ditions in the United States" 1t is
accordingly somewhat amusing and
entirely instructive that the "scienti-
fic" investigators of the Foundation
should so naively assume that the
furtherance of their commendable
aim must coincide with the "preven-
ton of strikes in the United States"
The Industrial Disputes Investiga-
ton Act Of Canada, which became
law on March %, 1907 makes it il
legal to declare strike or lockout in
industries connected with public utili-
ties until there has first been resort
to arbitration. Intended in the begin
ming to apply only to coal mining it
has snice been extended to railroads,
telephone and telegraph lines, power
stations, water systems, etc.
Three crucial questions stand out:
Has the act prevented strikes? How
has labor Jared in the administration
of the law? What has been the at
titude of labor t:ward this act?
The answer to the first question will
show the real purpose behind the agi-
tation now being carried on in its
favor.
The yearly average of strikes in
all industries in Canada for the years
previous to the passage of the act is
lis. The average subsequent t. its
passage is 119. In the coal mining in
dustry the average is 6 before and II
after the enactment of the law!
The law has had no effect in pre-
venting strikes! Indeed, this is free
ly admitted on all sides. Why then
is there still SO much agitation in its
favor? The answer will be found in
the examination of the second ques-
ton: How has labor Jared in the adj
ministration of the act?
No detailed account can be given
here. In periods of rising wage lev
els, labor found itself forced to fight
the bosses, public opinion, courts of
arbitration-and delay. Frequently
months interviewed before increases
even when granted, were announced.
Mostly the workers were forced to
resort to a strike in the end The
good scientist" who has compiled
this study does not tell us this, but
his facts do!
In periods of declining wage levels,
the employers found no trouble, gen
orally speaking, in putting through
decreases, in some case without re-
gard to the law quite as labor itself
has disregarded the law with impun-
ity on many occasions. In fact, it is
the boast of the advocates of the Dis
putes Act that it's penalties have new
er been enforced.
Chairmen of arbitration courts
were uniformly unsatisfactory to la
Dor for the we'll known reasons.
Awards were never quite what labor
desired. Decreases were always great
er than expected.
Here we find the answer to the
question as to the reason why the law
is so much advocated.
While this review is being written,
the labor press throughout the coun-
try is carrying hundreds of reprints
of news release sent out by Mary