Evening star., 1936-07-27

, employer view-
~ point that he will
not, If elected, champion the rightful
causes of the employe. The labor
controversy. in other words, affords
an opportunity for Gov. Landon to
reveal his progressivism, to show that
his heart is with the common man
Notwithstanding the reputation which
\. the New Deal strategists try to give
the Republicans as being allies of the
Liberty League and the so-called
privileged classes.
Mr.. Landon'S treatment of the la
bor problem in his speech last week
was necessarily brief, as was his dis
cussion of other topics. But never
theless there was much that was lack
ing If the candidate insists on con-
filming himself to the few brief state
ments of the Republican platform
without amplifying them in any way.
Bargaining Is Count.
The heart of the labor controversy
Is collective bargaining. The Repub-
lican platform says labor shall have
spokesmen of their own choosing
without coercion from any source" "
This very phrase was first used by
President Roosevelt in signing the
automobile code in 1884 so 1t is a
bit puzzling to see the New Deal ma
tional committee charging the author
ship of the phrase to the National
Association of Manufacturers.
But regardless of origin, the mean
ing Of that phrase is important and
labor wants to know from Gov. Lam
don as to how he interprets it. The
Republican nominee, in his speech Of
acceptance, said he thought that no
coercion from any source whatsoever
meant to him no coercion from any
employers or from any fellow en-
ployes or from any other person"
Promptly union labor spokesmen
declared that this Interpretation could
mean that an outside organizer, who
was not employed in plant or in
dustry, could be restrained from or
dinary membership work done in the
process of getting workers organized
into unions. If Gov. Jandon did not
mean such a thing, he has opportu-
nifty in future speeches to clarity
what he did mean.
Two Kinds of Organizations.
The crux Of the labor controversy
IS that there are two kinds of work.
ing mems organizations In America.
irrespective Of whether the unit is the
plant or the craft or the industry.
The two kinds are those that are not
In any way Influenced by employers
and those that may or may not be
under employer influence, but which
confning their activities to the plants
or factories where the men are en-
ployed
Landon says frankly that workers
should have the right to belong to any
type OF union they chose. This is
broad democracy. But when he says
they should be able TO choose their
representatives without coercion from
any source" the question arises as to
when coercion" is mere persuasion
unwelcome to minority factions and
when it is intimidation and simple
violence.
The national labor relations act
provides a penalty only for coercion
practiced by employers against en-
ployes who wish to join union. There
Is no provision which protects the
working man against the strong-arm
tactics of some union organizers. Sena-
tor Wagner, author of the labor re-
lations act, and New Dealers generally
pooh-pooh such fears, saying 1t is
myth invented by employers, yet every
strike and every labor dispute reveals
clearly that working men who refuse
to join union are subjected to humili-
alton and threats that amount to CO.
ercion in repeated instances. To the
outcry that some protection of the law
must be given, the answer usually
made Is that State law and city ordi-
nances already take care Of it.
In all probability the national labor
relations act, because it is arbitrary
and one e-sided, will be declared uncon-
stitutional But this will not dispose
of the question of collective bargaining.
Landon is today not merely the
spokesman of the party In national
sense, but he speaks as a general thing
for State tickets. Hence what he says
about the maintenance of the rights of
collective bargaining affects the labor
vote all along the line.
Clarification Essential.
Labor Is entitled to a clear-cut
declaration from the Republican nomi-
nee which assures labor right to
organize, a right to use organizers
whether or not they are employees of
given plant provided these organizers
use lawful methods. Likewise, en-
ployers are entitled to freedom Of ac-
ton, freedom to talk frankly to their
employees about disadvantages as they
see it Of plant or craft or industrial
type Of unions. This Is freedom OF
speech-as essential in economic de-
mocracy as in political democracy.
The usual comment made on this by
some labor spokesmen Is that unioniza-
ton is none of the employers business,
forgetting, of course, that when labor
organizations get into the hands OF un- |
scrupulous leaders and unnecessary
strikes are called it becomes very much |
the business of the employer. For he
is responsible not only for the pay |
rolls, but for the safety of the savings |
Of those who have invested in his man |
agement and in his capacity to meet
the views of the buyer as to ultimate
price. If the employer were a free
agent and could fix any price he
pleased and get 1t from the consumer
he would not worry much about COL
lective bargaining or unionization.
Landons views on labor are i'm
portant because they will give cue
to his progressivism. If he ventures
to show union labor that he means to