Evening star., 1938-02-27
Great Strides Made by Labor
Under Federal, Department
Workers Display Extremely Wary Attitude, How.
ever, Toward y. S. Government Regua.
ton of Wages and Hours

dllu 1OuIS.
| which employers are placing in the con-
| ciliatiOn service as an intermediary agency
| through which their labor problems may
| be adjusted.
As for its 25-year record, Director j. R.
Steelman told the same House committee
last month that settlement had been
| effected in $4,000 strikes and labor disputes,
these instances involving some 100000
| workers
Railroads Realized Benefit.
While the success of this important
branch OF the department hardly could be
exaggerated, it is significant, as far as
| that added governmental machinery for
| participation in the abor-industry problem
was found feasible in one instance and
necessary in another.
The instance a feasibility was that of
the railroad industry, where some of the
bitterest OF labor disturbances had given
way to general realization by both the
roads and the railroad unions that bar
gaining and responsibility with regard
o.
bility and peace far more desirable than
the dog-eat-dog practice of the past
With the public interest involved to a
greater than average degree, it was decided
that Government should become a party
to this realization and the Railway Labor
Act with its provisions for deliberate media
tlon voluntary arbitration and carefully
arranged checks against premature con-
clusion OF negotiations was approved in
1884
The occasion of necessity embraced labor
relations in virtually every field other than
the railroads as it was realized that there
existed more fundamental need than
Government agency to settle strikes;
namely, Government agency to protect
the right of labor to muster its collective
strength as did industry in opposition.
The expression of this realization in the
National Industrial Recovery Act was a
development more vital to labor than estab-
lishment of the department now celebrating
its birthday, for here was the first instance
OF labor itself, in an exaggerated sense, be-
coming the government. For the first time,
labor, rather than farmers, little business.
big business or any other group. was able
to put words into the mouth of government.
From this 1888 effort with subsequent trial
and error developed the present labor re-
lations law
Labor's Attitude Wary.
Despite its seeming achievement in
finally effecting the creation of a Govern
ment agency which is vested with the duty
OF protecting labor. at this point began to
manifest its longtime distrust of any ap-
proach at Government control. Springing,
perhaps, from fundamental fear that it
might not be able to retain its influence in
the councils of government, it displayed an
extremely wary attitude toward Government
regulation of wages and hours even under
hypothetical circumstances where such reg
ulation might bring improvements over the
application of collective bargaining
At the same time, it intensified its alert
suspicious against any effort to impose
compulsory arbitration in times of strikes.
Such an attitude gives rise to speculation
as to just how closely labor desires to enter
or be identified with government since it
obviously does not trust government when
government speaks primarily for other spe-
cial groups And such speculation, Of
course, brings one squarely into the middle
Of the present split in the American labor
movement with the Committee for Indus
trial Organization preaching doctrine of
direct political action while the American
Federation of Labor apparently clings to
its traditional policy Of choosing between
candidates selected in the first instance by
the old line political parties.
Happily divorced from the hazards Gre
ated by labor's political problems and its
controversies with industry, however, are
numerous other invaluable divisions of the
25-year-old Department Of Labor.
Improved Opportunity.
In 1888, the same year from which so
much of labors legislative ACCOMPLISH
ments date, Congress passed the Wagner 4
Peyser Act by which was established a ma
tional system Of public employment Offices.
to be subsidiary to the United States En-
ployment Service. itself branch of the
Department Of Labor. BY the end of last
June all States had passed legislation nee
essary to bring them within the scope of
the service and it was functioning in all
but six.
In 1920 there was created the Women's
Bureau Of the Department, now assuming
tAe leadership in establishing uniform
standards of working conditions for women.
Filling comparable educational function
with regard to children in industry is the
Children's Bureau.
An important adjunct Of the depart
ment also is the immigration and natu-
ralization service, vested with exclusive
jurisdiction over problems of immigration.
Enforcing policy Of selectivity since 1924,
the service has been handling a task that
frequently spilled over into issues much
more complicated than the mere question
of allowing entry to another tired cos
mopolite.
Latest to be added to the varied activities
of the department Is the apprentice train.
ing program now handled through
statutory unit Of the department. The
work Of this unit y solely promotional, ad-
visory and educational.