Evening star., 1933-10-08
BY WILLIAM HARD.

The most dynamic event In Wash
| ington during this last week has been
the convention Of the American Feder-
alton Of Labor. Three great issues are
dramatized in it:
/. Shall there be an American labor
party?
2. Shall there be an agitation in the
throughout the whole United States to
thirty hours?
g. Shall there be a direct representa-
ton Of labor, in company with a direct
| representation Of capital, in the en-
| forcement" bodies Of all National Re-
covery Administration codes?
All three of these issues will be We
/ hemently debated and brought to roll
call decisions in the convention.
AS for an American labor party. the
decision will formally be in the mega
tive: but this will be for a reason which
by no means removes the American
Federation Of Labor from politics. On
the contrary, it plunges the federation
into politics as never before.
Under the N. r. A. system there Is
a possibility that labor might get col
lar put around its neck by the farmers
and the industrialists. The N. R. A.
codes are dedicated largely to fixing
for employees. This fixing is done under
governmental supervision which some
times amounts simply to government
, tai edict The officials who issue the
edict are appointed by the administra-
| ton. The administration, whether
headed by Mr. Roosevelt or by sue
cessor to Mr.. Roosevelt. is the outcome
of political combinations in the polling
booths. 1t is these patent facts that
cause deep ponderings and plannings
among the captains of the strategy Of
the American Federation OF Labor.
A combination of farmers and indus
trialists might easily control the Gov
ernment of the United States. Both
farmers and industrialists are interested
primarily in higher prices. Both are
in the long run very cool toward higher
wages The industrialists have managed
in numerous N. r. A. codes to keep the
minimum wage scales down to level
which is regarded by labor leaders and
by many sociological experts as being
we'll beneath the so-calIed standard Of
decent comfort" The farmers, through
certain of their representatives at Wash
ington. have simultaneously begun to
complain that the minimum wage
scales of the N. r. A. codes, however
low. are adding unduly to the costs Of
the products which the farmers must
buy.
A political alliance between the wage
earners and the industrialists has al
ways been obviously impossible, and q
political alliance between the wage
earners and the farmers, while often
theoretically urged. presents in practice
great difficulties. These difficulties are
now accentuated. The new Agricultural
Adjustment Administration. represent
ing the interests of the farmers is every
day more at outs with the National Re-
covery Administration, representing Gin
parD the interests-and the costs-of
labor Meanwhile the problem Of
monetary imitation has additionally
widened the rift between farm forces
and labor forces.
Representatives Of agriculture here
are determined to achieve monetary in
f1ation, irrespective OF the consequences
to the purchasing power of wages. Rep
resentatives Of labor here are deter
mined to resist monetary imitation, ire
spective of the consequences to the ca
pacity of the farmers to pay off their
debts.
In these circumstances an outright
open conscious alliance between agricul
turists and wage earnerS in a national
farmer-labor party becomes unthink-
able, and straightaway labor party
becomes futile; because the political
power Of the industrialists plus the po-
litical power of the farmers would con-
denim it to utter impotency.
Thereupon the national managers Of
organized labor are driven inevitably
toward just one course. It is to go
along with Mr. Roosevelt and the Demo-
cratic party.
Mr. Roosevelt has shown himself es-
sentially favorable to organized labor's
bargaining. The Democratic party con-
trolls large agricultural regions in the
South and Southwest through tradi-
tional hereditary momentum. The
Democratic farmers of the South will
vote Democratic even If Democratic
President is authorizing wage scales
which enhance the prices of lumber
coal. gasoline. fertilizers and plovs.
1t is only pro-labor President with an
automatic party monopoly Of a large
number Of agricultural electoral votes
that can serve the purposes Of the
American Federation Of Labor.
X Il
The ultimate outcome Of the debate
in the American Federation Of Labor
Convention on the subject Of the sug-
gested labor party is accordingly fore
closed. The convention will volubly
separate itself from the labor party idea.
It will tacitly join itself to the for
tunes OF Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
On the point of an agitation in the
next Congress for q 30-hour work week
the decision of the convention cannot,
perhaps, be forecast with entire accu-
racy, but its trend Is already traceable
The maximum hours fixed in the N. r.
A. codes already adopted cannot pos
sibly absorb all the unemployed work
erx normally attached 70 the industries