The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-07-16
PARTIES In INTEREST

A COmm1LL06 Oh C1LlZeuS VI Julius
town, Pa, and a committee of the
steelworkers of that city, have join
ed in an appeal for funds for the pur-
pose of informing the general public
regarding the strike situation in that
district. These committees make
the statement that the Johnstown
plant of the Bethlehem Steel Co., was
closed by Governor Earle at time
when more than 70 per cent OF the
millmen were still at work and desir-
ed to continue working.
This statement appears to reflect
a situation existing in many places
other than Johnstown. Strikes have
been declared by an irresponsible
minority, and workers who are salts
fed with their employment and who
wish to continue at work are brand
ed as scabs and strikebreakers, and
are forced from their jobs by coer-
cion or threats. or by actual violence.
In many instances the strikers have
taken illegal possession of the plants,
thus preventing their operation,
while in other cases striking organi-
cations have demanded that the mill
owners close their plants, or that the
authorities force them to close,
coupling these demands with threats
that failure to comply would result
in violence, and that the RESPONSE
bility for preventing bloodshed rest
ed with the factory management Oh
the civil authorities, rather than
upon the strikers or strike sympa-
thizers who initiate the violence.
There are several parties in in
terest" to be given consideration in
any fair appraisement of the present
strike situation. The men who wish
to hold their jobs certainly form one
important element. When the ''sit.
down strikes" were initiated, the
Secretary of Labor expressed the
opinion that they might be legal be-
cause, while the factory owner had q
property right in his plant, the en-
ployees also had a property interest
in their jobs. Now the workmer
who have jobs and wish to keep them
assert that on the basis of this prin-
ciple, If for no other reason, they are
entitled to legal protection, and
claim that the Government has
shown Partially and unfairness in
an endeavor to favor the CLIO. work
ers at the expense of those who have
not chosen to join that organization
Another party in interest is the
general public, which very frequent
ly gets the worst of it in the final
settlement of labor disputes. Indi.
cations are growing fast that the
public is becoming decidedly weary
of the current chaotic labor situa-
ton. An insistent demand is heard
for labor agreements binding alike
on both parties, and with definite re-
sponsibility required of the union as
well as of the employer. Public
sentiment is also strong for protec-
ton of the workman in his legal
right to work without being forced
to join some particular labor organi-
cation. And many of the general
public who have no jobs are looking
longingly at the wages and hours
which the strikers disdain.
One writer suggests that under
meath much of the current labor
troubles is a "pig-pen philosophy, -
where the endeavor is to get both
feet in the trough, and gobble and
glut with no regard for anyone OF
anything. And he AYERS that in
most strikes neither party to the dis
pute has been free from the effects
OF such pig-pen motives.