Evening star., 1937-04-28
Chamber
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Continued From First Paee)
Of criticism Of the act, accompanied by
Q move to put the chamber on record
a. favoring amendment to create a
dual responsibility of employe and en-
ployer under It's provisions.
The chamber auditorium, which &C
commodities about l.400. was crowded
to hear McGrady, and the Labor De-
partment oflcial was warmly ap-
plauded as he concluded.
The session also heard plea for
better understanding between man.
agement and labor from P. w. Litch-
held OF Akron, Ohio, president OF
Goodyear Tire 81 Rubber Co.
From another quarter, however,
came bitter attack on the admin
tstration as Virgil Jordan of New
York, president of the National In
dustrial Conference Board, Inc, as
sailed the jesting Pilates of politics
who today exploit the ignorance and
superstltions Of the masses and per-
nit or provoke them to cruelty the
fAA4>tp'So VA HS1 SOlldl 1lSNNOul dllu IC-
sponslbility which have given them
the greatest prosperity and security
they have ever seen or will ever
know"
Prefacing his remarks with the dec
larat1on that the full scope OF the
supreme Court decisions on the Wag-
ner act still Is uncertain McGrady
Added hnurauor ho SC
TO doubt that they have given us a
completely new basis for the relation
ship between labor and management
under supervision of Government"
Two Aspects Of Problem.
Labor Is principally interested In
two aspects Of this problem" he con-
tinued. First it regards the right
OF collective bargaining through rep
resentatives Of its own choosing, in
dependent Of employer influence, As
absolutely necessary in this modern
age. Secondly, it believes that there
should be some floor under labor re-
latlons which will protect labor against
sudden and destructive downswings
IN wages and lengthening OF hours
~ SAAS SAASAiPAoyLlCAlU dllu ulSIIC6S Ol
millions, such as were witnessed dur
Ing the depression. These two aims
seem now within the range OF ac-
complishment"
Labor. the speaker explained, be-
heves there must be either collective
bargaining "or no bargaining at ALL"
because Of the growth OF corpora
tions that has so widely separated
employer and employe On the con-
rary, he added, some great employ
ers have insisted, at least until re-
Gently, that they will never negotiate
with representatives OF their men in
any way except individually-'man to
man"
The idea that there is any such
thing IS individual bargaining in mod
srn industrial circumstances" he en-
phasized. lis just not true. Unless
labor, grouped collectively, can have its
expert representatives. wholly inde-
pendent OF employer influence, speak
Tor 1t with = powerful voice, there is
10 real bargaining at all, and wage
rates are only an arbitrary decree of
. more or less benef1cient despotism,
liking the conditions of labor in it's
own untrammeled discretion.
1T won't do. know you recognize
1t won't do. The whole world recog-
nizes 1t. The principles I have dis
cussed have been adopted in every i'm
portant industrial nation and put in
practice to a far greater extent than
nave ever been practiced here"
Sanctity of Contracts.
Declaring the essence of successful
labor relations is an unvarying re-
spect for the sanctity of contracts" ;"
McGrady recalled that "the veil of
the temple Of labor is rent asunder
now by fratricidal strife, but if you
will examine the records OF the prin-
cipal leaders on both sides OF that un-
fortunate rift you will find, think, an
invariable history Of absolute adher-
ence to the pledged word"
II can assure you of one thing,
McGrady concluded, labor approaches
Its new power with q due sense Of
Its obligations. Labor does not seek
trouble. You won't get arbitrary At
titudes, unreasonableness, violence or
hostility from labor, except in the
measure that you mete it out. I know
from personal contact"
Urges Reason and Calm.
Litchfleld told the chamber he
placed little credence in the some
what prevalent fear that revolution
against democracy is at our door,"
adding that there are current ma
tional dangers. but none which will
not respond to intelligence. fairness
and honesty Of purpose, and it would
seem that the time has come when
We must return to reason and calm. -
He proposed a plan for maintain
ing industrial peace along the lines
Of the principles Of the railway labor
act.
Jordan unleashed the bitterest crit
icism against the administration that
has been heard at the convention, de-
claring the tendency Is toward de-
struction Of the "enterprise princi-
pie" and that the "chief responsible
ity for leadership and action in this
crisis rests now with business man
agement."
This Is = revolution" he assert
ed. You cannot compromise with
revolution; you can only cooperate
with 1t or be liQuidated by it."
Meanwhile the program to which