Evening star., 1937-03-23
INDUSTRIAL PEACE
PLAN IS BROACHED
Thomas, in Forum Address,
Asks Definitions of Fair
Practices.

Declaring that strikes, like war,
are outmoded," Senator Ebert D.
Thomas, Democrat, of Utah, last night
called for establishment of govern
mental machinery designed to main
tain peace in industry.
Senator Thomas spoke in the
National Radio Forum. arranged by
nationwide network of the National
Broadcasting Co.
Hitting at labor relations abuses
both by employer and employe, with
particular reference to such spying
activities as have been barred by the
Senate investigation, Senator Thomas
bespoke a solution based on trust,
confidence and mutually" as he out
lined his plan.
United States Can Define Practices.
The Government, he said, can lay
down broad definitions of what shall
constitute fair and unfair labor and
industrial practices. 1t can define by
law labor union, lodge or craft group
thus outlaWing the racketeer and dis
honest labor leader. 1t can then
bring into existence institutions, call
them courts or boards, for the en-
forcement of fair labor and industrial
practices and relations, thus furnish
ing the third party with the public
interest necessary for the settlement
of troubles
These third parties might have
constant access in an advisory
capacity to our major industries
They should be available to both labor
and industry on call Under our
present constitutional scheme these
institutions should be set up for use
IN those industries which can be
federally controlled, with the provision
that States may pass similar defini-
tions and may, therefore, cooperate
with the Federal agencies in the
enforcement of those definitions. Thus
the constitutional chaSm which divides
interstate and intraState commerce can
be bridged by cooperative action both
by the State and the Nation"
Cooling Off Period Needed.
The function of such an organiza-
ton would be to initiate conferences
when trouble threatened, he explained,
bringing on at the outset a cooling
off period" tSuCh as is provided by
the railroad mediation law).
Such conferences, Senator Thomas
said, might fail to halt strike, but
at least, the issues involved would
be clearly defined.
The text of Senator Thomas ad-
dress follows:
In all labor relations there are three
primary interests which must be kept
constantly in mind: First, the interest
of the employer; second, the interest
OF the laborer, and third, the interest
Of the public. Probably the public
interest is of greatest Importance, be-
cause it will embrace the interests of
the laborer and the employer as well
as of all the people.
In the United States whenever any
Ill or any good that must be accom-
plished by governmental action is to
be corrected and furthered, it is nee
esSary to review at least in thought
our governmental scheme. American
government, both that of the State
and that of the Nation, differs from
practically all other governments of
the world in one great particular.
Most governments have in them some
where an ability to do whatever the
government wishes to do. Therefore,
in the thoughts Of all people in those
governments, the governmental in
terest is Of paramount Importance.
Powers in United Sattes Limited.
The American governments are
definitely governments of limited
powers. That holds for either the
State or the Nation. There are many
things which no government in the
which government cannot do and
which are reserved to the people may
be termed, politically speaking, what
we in America call liberty. This liberty
Is OF primary Importance and thus
We see that the persons who live
within the jurisdiction OF the Govern
ment of the United States or of a
particular State are, under the
American theory, the entities of
paramount interest, and not the gov
ernments themselves.
Now, since government Is limited
in its powers, the thoughtless general
ization that all things may be cured
by law is, of course, just thought
less generalization. 1t has no validity
in fact.
In the preservation of that which
We call liberty we have assumed that