Evening star., 1934-07-29
U.S.FUNDSFEED
STRIKE AGITATION
Agitators Say Government
win Pay BilI--Business
Troubled by Unrest.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Letters received from business men
operating large and small plants in
different parts Of the country indi-
cate that the biggest single factor
which Is at the moment beclouding
recovery is labor unrest.
The uncertainty as 20 what prices
can be charged when labor costs are
difncuit 10 gauge Is holding UP orders
and there Ia a tendency TO avoid
commitments Of all kinds.
The consoling argument that strikes
and labor controversies are charac-
teristic OF the era Of recovery after
depresaions is disputed by many men
who have been in business for so and
90 years. II Is their contention that
at no time has America suffered from
as many strikes and 2s rsany disturb
ances as today and that never before
have there been so many quarrels on
strictly organization questions.
The history OF labor warfare shows
that strikes over wage questions we're
frequently characteristic OF the years
Just preceding recovery. but that the
broad questions of recognition. such
as are involved In collective bargain
ing, or the issues Of jurisdictional au-
trority among union leaders, are
somewhat unprecedented.
N. n. A. Partly Blamed.
There are many critics Of the N. r.
A.. In particular, VINO attribute much
of the present labor difflculty TO the
announcement given by the Govern
ment itself TO collective bargaining
without attempting to fix collective
responsibility. But much OF the dis
cussion Is based upon a belief that
minority groups In various labor
unions are trying TO become dominant
by stirring up these new controversies.
In other words. would-be president
of a local labor union will adopt
radical platform on the theory that
the incumbent will thus be defeated.
The man who holds Office might be
n conservative, but be- faces the choice
of adopting a radical course that
usually leads to a strike, or he may
be defeated by the radical who would
then pursue militant tactics to carry
out his pledge. When the aspirant
for Office In a union happens also to
hold communistic beliefs and thinks
that economic force should be used
to dictate a change in our form Of
government, the situation becomes
even more dangerous to industrial
peace.
How shall the employers, who war;
to see work continue uninterrupted,
and the employees, who really want
TO continue to work, have their in
terests safeguarded2 The Federal
Government has set up plenty OF
boards and tribunals. but, In nearly
every case, some local difficulty in
terferes with the prompt settlement
of the strike.
Every Business Affected.
Actually. of course. many strikes
are being amicably settled. Very little
is heard about the strikes that yield
to conciliatory treatment. But, on
the other hand. it cannot be denied
that the amount of labor unrest Is so
extensive as to be o menace to eco
nomic recovery. Translated into
specific effects, 1t is noted that. when
n factory in O small town is closed
the payrolls are diminished and the
local storekeepers feel the injury at
once. The wholesalers, who expect to
stock the shelves of the retailer, find
the orders curtailed. Practically every
phase OF economic activity Is directly
or indirectly affected by labor unrest.
And, while the estimates OF eco
nomic loss run into the hundreds OF
millions Of dollars, the truth is nobody
can measure the economic damage
growing out of labor troubles. Much
of the loss is potential. Tt is business
that was expected to be done to help
the years volume or to help the in
ciyidual pay debts or to meet deficits.
u. S. Pays Bill.
On the whole, the relief expenses
will mount considerably If the epi-
demic of strikes is not soon over
come. It used to be that local author
tties handled all relief and that towns
and communities did not sympathize
with strikes that forced on them
added costs. But, with Federal relief
funds available, the agitators can tell
the workers that they need not fear
a strike - the Federal Government
will pay the bill. The whole tragic
era of strikes would be easier to bear,
according TO business reports, If some
progress toward a solution were to
be apparent or If some gains could
be visualized. But the impression uni
versally gained is that the tribunals
are not succeeding in doing more
than patching up quarrels or in fore
ing a truce.
When the President gets back. it
would appear that the cost of the
strikes and the retarding effect on
business generally will become the
paramount question Of the hour.