Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-06-16

The high degree of Congressional
interest in the labor situation, reflect
ed in the current hearings on a pro-
posed minimum hour and wage law,
in the studies of strike developments,
and in numerous legislative plans for
stabiliZing lator conditions, is evid-
ence that progress is being made in
the effort to improve working condi-
tions and strike medium as to the
respective rights of capital and labor
Already there are indications that
under the drive for unionization of
all workers and the plans of employ
ers to meet this wider organization of
labor, the public generally will, thro-
ugh the forces of government, be the
arbiter of respective rights. In other
words, employers and workers must
be and are prepared to adjust their
battle tactics to public sentiment To
put it still another way, agencies of
government must be prepared to UNI
pire labor difficulties and see that
the public interest is fully protected.
This is the objective of all new legis--
lation dealing with labor problems.
1t is interesting to note that the
tremendous strides in latOr organiZa-
ton today are under far different con
ditions than those of seventeen years
ago, when trade union mems erShips
passed the five million mark. With
the outbreak of the World War, poll
teal and economic conditions highly
favorable to the growth of organized
labor were created. The flow of Euro
pean orders into this country and
later the heavy war purchases by our
own government produced state of
great business activity and demand
for labor. The stoppage of immigra-
ton and the withdrawal of man pow
to tighten the labor market and
strengthen the bargain power of
labor.
And with industrial peace essen
tial to continued production, the Fed
eral government encouraged the ex-
tension of trade unionism and collec-
tive bargaining.
Conditions for the present drive for
the stronger organization of labor
are, of course, entirely different from
those of the war period. Instead of a
shortage of labor we have a surplus
and unemployment is wide. Personal
contacts between employers and en-
ployees are fewer. The trend toward
larger establishments employing great
numbers of workers continues. For
la3or, this means that workers must
place more dependence upon employee
representatives. In a word individual
bargaining over terms of employment
is being replaced by mass bargaining.
Increased mechanization is a con-
tributing factor to maintaining fac
tory output with fewer workers.
Small and inefficient plants are being
eliminated and regional shifts of fac
tories and scientific management are
having great effect. Thus labor's pow
ers of adjustment to changing con-
ditions are even more demanded in
the future than in the past.
Obviously, the part of the govern
ment in these changes is tremendous.
Maximum effort is necessary to the
end that neither capital nor labor will
encroach on the rights of the public.
The farmer, who is directly affected,
must be protected. Agriculture oc-
cupies a dominant place as a source
of supply for raw materials for fac
tory and food for workers. And Con-
gressional leaders are determined
that the rights of the farmer shall
not be overlooked as our rural popula-
ton watches the fight between the
organized forces of industry and the
organized forces of labor. There are
high hopes that Congress will, thro-
ugh desirable and equitable legislation
now pending, contri, ute to solution
of the problem with due regard for
the rights of all.