Montana labor news., 1934-05-03
WASHINGTON SCENE
(By HARVEY o'CoNNoR.)

directly under government control
than one would have thought possible
in so short a space of time. Consider
the railroad wage dispute, the case Of
the Alabama miners and the new labor
disputes bill that is taking shape.
These three issues have thrust all
others into the background of the
Washington scene in the past week.
The job of bridling labor is not for
any dude that comes along. Even an
old cow-hand like General Johnson has
taken his falls. To bring the critter
under control the approach has to be
wary and the tone ~wheedling, though
threats and rougher stuff may be kept
in reserve. A very common technic
is to come up with a lump of sugar
in the hand and bride hidden behind
the back.
Take the Wagner labor disputes bill.
The Jumps of sugar are union recog-
milton, the bride arbitration. But the
boss has just shouted out not to waste
sugar and make the horse think it can
have what it likes. So now a little
board of strategy is meeting to revise
the bill. How to get the bride on
without making the boss sore, is the
problem.
New York and Chicago were the
scenes of action when plans were laid
for the voluntary" 10 per cent rail
road wage deduction that became eff
fective Feb. l, 1882, and was only to
last one year. Pres. Hoover was far
in the background. Incidentally the
railroads were to make an earnest
endeavor" to maintain and increase
employment with the proceeds Of the
cut, according to that agreement. The
opposite results, the wholesale lay
offs that followed, are a painful men,
DRY for those workers who now hear
Roosevelt urging application of the
proceeds of a still continued wage-cut
to creating additional employment.
Today Washington is the scene as
a matter of course. The baby is dump
ed in the lap of the president-whose
advise apparently is not to change the
wet 10 per cent diaper as diapers are
expensive, and what the baby needs
anyhow is milk. Roosevelt takes
charge before even company and Bro
therhood officials start negotiating.
Federal Co-ordinator Eastman is med
iator. Whatever the result, the gov
eminent that has loaned so many mil
lions to the roads is likely to cast the
deciding vote.
###
Into the welter of conflicting soft
coal interests leaps Gen. johnson una
fraid. He never learns who does not
make mistakes, and the General has
learned many a valuable lesson. Nor
thern and southern operators are cut
ting each others threats. 0. K, he
says, let's even things a bit and see
about a gentlemen's agreement.
But Johnson did not know his coal
operators if he expected such an agree
ment. The northern operators were
more vocal in Washington, so it was
an Appalachian amendment that
Johnson imposed on the Alamaba OPP
orators, not an Alabama amendment
on the Appalachians.
The Alabama operators wanted to
know who was running the govern
ment anyhow. Their miners also took
things seriously and refused to work
for less than the $500 promised. The
General found himself in the midst of
the very kind of class struggle he was
trying to avert. He who fights and
runs away will live to fight another
day, he thought, and retreated. So now
the Alabama operators have permits
sion to cut wages to $3.50 a day for
skilled labor. But that won't please
the northern operators unless they
can cut to match, and it won't please
the miners of either north or south.
The coal crisis will become acute again
and the government will intervene
again.
A.4
The employers have a lot of stuff
to take to market; they have high
hopes of handsome profits. But they
left their laboring horse to fend for
himself or starve, when they had no
use for him. Now his ribs are stick
ing out and there's a wild look in his
eye. He must be fed to do the job,
but what'll he do when he feels his
oats? A strong bride with a curb bit
is what they need.
#&s
The Wagner disputes bill has been
promoted by union leaders as a weap-
on against company unions; it has
been attacked by employers on the
same ground. But to the administra-
ton this phase is incidental. The
main point, Roosevelt himself pro-
claims, is the establishment of a "per-
manent body for mediation and ar