The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1937-01-29
REVIEW AND FORECAST

This the time when professional f5recasers swing
the business and financial magazines have
all out with diversified Review and Forecast issues
Generally speaking the commentators and the magazines
agree in their gesses as to the course of future events
namely that business is getting better the pubcs power
is gradually approaching industrys power to
proddce the national income the Though the rise
being offset to considerable extent by rises in commodity
prces wages and dividends reecting Improvement
But there is at least big fly in the ointment-labor
troubles, existing and prospective.
In the words of the conservative Annalist 1.-THE three
largest manufacturing industries the year with
heavy untitled orders Ordinarily such situation would
virtually guarantee satisfactory state of business
though important industries remained depressed But
expected outbreak of labor disturbances is becoming
serious enough to constitute threat to general business
stability"
Labor is split wide open today On the side is the
A. f. of L. with it's faith in craft unions On the other is
John Lewis advocate of big industrial union and
direct action Some think that Mr. Lewis ambition is to
build up labor political party such exists in France and
England Whether that not Mr. Lewis bent
bringing the old closed-shop open-shop issue to
head.
aim of the United Mine Workers (Ar Lewis union,
which supported by number of other large unions is
nionze steel adamant defender of the open shop This is
about difficult job could be imagined and whichever
side wins must result in controversies continuing
period of years So in the meantime Mr. Lewis has
tered attack big industry which he-and most
prejudiced observelsregard being highly vulnerable
That is the automobile industry.
Reason for motors vulnerablty that is dependent
for existence other scattered industries makers
accessory Makers tire makers machnetoo makers ETC.
These related industries though big when all units of them
considered mainly broken up into small decentraz
ed units In other words is sometimes possible to tie
big automobile manufacturer by bringing about strike
in relatively small factory which makes for example
glass;
Mr. Lewis has conferred his attack General
Motors, being representative big maker Demands
plain and unequvocaland heading them all is the de-
mand for 100 per closed shop General Motors thru
its president Alfred Sloane has replied that cannot
tenance this that will dcker with unions any other
poye representatives but that it will demand that
belong to any organization before gives him job That
is, it stands firmly for the open shop.
The feeling is growing that if the to stability
caused by labor troubles is to be eliminated with fairness to
both Sides the Federal government do great deal
than has the past There strong sentiment in
the West-where seaman's strike has kept all Pacific
Coast shipping tied up for nearly three monthsn favor of
the President taking hand something he has formerly
fused to do Mediation by the parties involved has got
where and there is little forbeevng that it will get
anywhere in the future. AS result the labor question
will undoubtedly appear issue the Congress-
and will be thoroughly thrashed out.