Evening star., 1937-01-24
BY JOHN C. HENRY.
.RECEDENT often becomes habit,
. q circumstance which current
ly Is causing some concern at

- q circumstance which current
ly Is causing some concern at
L the White House.
The precedent was that Of rushing
industry-1abor deadlocks into the
hands of President Roosevelt in sew
eral major crises of his first admins
tratisn. Recognizing the prestige Of
the White House and more particu-
larry the position of great personal in
nuence OF the present Chief Executive.
both sides on several occasions during
that administration brought their dis
agreements to him.
Today, two new industrial impasses
are virtually knocking at the doors OF
1900 Pennsylvania avenue. Crises are
dangerously close in both the automo-
bile and maritime industries. Whether
they will be a subject Of White House
Intervention still is uncertain, but Ia
Dor, through the voice Of John l..
Lewis, boldly asked for presidential aid
only few days ago.
And reluctant though Mr.. Roosevelt
may be to place himself again in the
no-man's-land Of industrial STRIFE,
there exists the certain anxiety which
he must feel over a stalemate threat
ening recovery. Recovery, after all. Is
more important politically than either
precedent or habit.
Increasing Help Seen.
In any event, it appears that several
circumstances are pointing to lncreas-
ing White House connection with the
course OF labor and industry.
First such circumstance. perhaps. is
the virtual certainty that industrial
agreements eliminating in strikes or
strike threats will continue on the
increase during the next year or two
as a rising tide Of business activity
and more militant organization efforts
BY labor groups provide the usual
ground work for controversy.
It is a matter Of record, for instance
that the dark brown taste" OF indus
trial warfare always has been too
plainly evident as the country re-
covered from each depression. one
cause is found in the failure OF wage
levels to keep pace with improving
business and higher costs OF living; a
result is employe discomfort. Also. as
employment becomes easier to nno'
employees become increasingly inoe-
pendent in their demands for wage
and-hour concessions.
That the present period Is no ex'
ception is proved by the strike recorc
since 1882. In that year, the Bureai
of Labor Statistics Of the Depart
ment of Labor listed 8o8 strikes. Ir
1888, as the N. I. r. A. brought Amer
ica a Cavalry officer, a Blue Eagle
and an outbreak of codes, the num-
Der of strikes jumped to 1852; in 1888
it was 1856, and in 1885 it reached
20l4. Through November OF 1886 tn'
total reached 1857.
Second such major circumstance L
a labor organization movement un
usual in It's intensity. Spearhead O
the attack. Of course. is the Commit
tee for Industrial Organization unde
the beliigerent leadership OF Lewis
Sidney Hillman, Philip Murray ant
others who are confirmed in thei
faith in the industrial form OF organ
ization.
At the moment, their determination
Is being divided between the gian
steel industry, where industrial con
fiicts have recorded some Of their bit
terest episodes, and the automobile in
dustry, already in upheaval. In th
immediate background, however. ar
organization campaigns in the rubber
textile and oil industries.
Union Issue Difficult.
Tied in with these efforts Is tn
potent issue Of union recognition,
package Of dynamite that always
more difncult Of treatment than an
other barrier arising between employe
and employe. With virtually no mid
die ground existing where this issu
might be compromised, the danger Q
an outright deadlock becomes magni
ned. With the deadlock comes
danger factor in the business pros
perity so essential to political ad
ministration.
Precedent for Federal Intervention
in industrial conflicts exists in iso
lated instances as far back as tn
Pullman strike in 1894 the silve
miners strike of 1898, the gold miner:
strike Of 1907 and the Colorado Goa
strike in 1918. In these cases. tn
intervention consisted mostly of pres
sure brought against the labor force
with q view to prevent any interrup
ton in production, rather than h
make any determination Of right an,
wrong In the disputes.
But It was during the furious in