Evening star., 1937-03-18

labor problems of n:,I
the country with
unmistakable clarity.
There can be little doubt that the
many hundreds of thousands OF per-
sons employed on the railroads of the
United States have as deep an interest
in collective bargaining. in getting rec
ognition of their rights, and in WIN
ning a just share Of the fruits Of their
toll as any other workmen, There
can be little doubt also that the rail-
road executives are as deeply mindful
of their obligations to the property
owners as are any set of managers
of publicly owned businesses.
For three years now the railroad
unions and the executives have been
sitting around the table together,
working out their problems. One issue
after the other has yielded to this fair
and equitable treatment. Issues that
we're before the Interstate Commerce
Commission for years-like the power
reverse" queStiOn-have been adjusted,
and now comes the written agreement
on railroad pension legislation, ending
a controversy which had been threShed
out in Congress without result, and
which also had been the subject Of
one of those 5-to-4 decisions by the
United States Supreme Court.
New Phase of Lawmaking.
All was not lost in railroad pen
sions when the Supreme Court said
that arbitrary taking Of property by
an arbitrary pension system was
violation of property rights. The rail-
road executives and the representa-
tives of organized labor sat down TO
write an agreement which will soon
be embodied into law, and it en-
braces an understanding that Will
doubtless never be questioned as to
constitutionality any more than have
dozens of laws which infringe ad-
versely on nobody's interest, When
this acquiescence comes, as it often
does in wartime, for example, it is
said that the supreme Will is mani
tested by the people. In this instance
agreement by the two PARTIES at inter-
est-railroad labor and the eXecu-
tives-will Stablish the law as
permanent statute.
But, it will be asked why is it that
the railroad executives and railroad
labor settle their grievances? One
reason is that railroad managements
have learned to deal with Spokesmen
for their employees, nationally or To-
cally, and the other reason is that the
railroad mediation act passed by Con-
eress affords an excellent piece OF
machinery to avoid or avert strikes.
Local and National In Scope.
The mediation provisions of the
Federal law furnish a sort of cooling
box in labor disputes. Regional con-
ferences and local treatment of cer-
tain grievances are arranged for, but
also upon occasion is the settlement
of national issues that arise between
labor and the railroads.
The railroad brotherhood unions
contain the finest type of men in
American labor. The heads of the
unions are straightforward, square,
shooting individuals who are neither
politically ambitious nor anxious to
put the railroads out of business
through excessive and impossible de-
mands. They respect facts when facts
are maze dVdlIdOIS 10 Irlelll.
Now the railroads and the labor
unions have settled all outstanding
questions to date. Does this mean
that the labor spokesmen rest and do
nothing more for their constituents?
Far from it. They have on file a
request for 20 per cent increase in
wages. This will not come up to
critical point Immediately, but it will
be there as notice to the railroads
that as their earnings grow the work.
ers want a fair share of that excess
of receipts over expenditures. So,
also, Of course, do the stockholders,
but the matter is up for adjustment
in round-table fashion, and eventual
settlement seems assured.
Avoid Warning Factions.
1t is interesting to note that the
Lewis faction in organized labor has
not made inroads in the railroad un-
ions. The latter are also independent
of the American Federal ton of Labor
The railroad brotherhoods tend to
their own problems and do not mix
in other labor wars, except, of course,
to express their sympathy for labor
legislation when other groups bring
such matters to the fore.
The men who speak for railroad
labor are experienced in leadership.
They have a background Of intelli-
gent trade unionism behind them.
Maybe other labor unions, even of
the industrial type fostered by John
L. Lewis, will some day develop the
same kind of leadership, especially
as collective bargaining becomes more
and more an integral part of our
economic structure. But there is on
the other hand, no way to develop
labor leaders of responsibility until
they feel the weight of responsibility
In the solution of their problems.
Many an industrialist will tell you
privately that he would favor recog-
milton of the labor union he happens
to be fighting if he could be assured
Of responsible labor leadership. That's
: why the movement for incorporation
OF labor unions is so strong among
employers. They want assurance
against arbitrary and capricious ac-
ton. Federal law has given Just
such assurance to railroad manage
ment through the provision of ade-
quate mediation machinery. For be it
remembered that labor agrees under
the terms of the Federal law not to
strike until certain steps of media
tory character have been taken.
There are labor leaders outside the
railroads who do not like even this
simple limitation. Cynically, some of
them say railr )ad labor has lost its
strike weapon. But in actual prac-
tice the presence of the ultimate strike
weapon is leverage which railroad
labor always has possessed and still
possesses under Federal law.
= What the railroad mediation acf]