The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1938-09-15
@&Mhn@m
by JAMES Preston

The British still believe in the
principle that the best govern
ment is that which governs
least: they remember that
liberal" and liberty" r akin
and that the more liberty the
individual has in modern society
the more Likely he is to do what
is best for his fellow man.
That is the real between the
lines lesson in the report by the
Presidential Commission on la
Dor relations in Great Britain.
The commission made no rec
concentrations and expressed
lew opinions. But its report is
studded with references TO the
British Governments efforts to
avoid cOmpulslOn and let in
dividuals and groups solve their
own problems. The result is a
system which functions so
smoothly that America sent this
Commission abroad to study it.
Commentators have remarked
that the report indicates a
general acceptance of the
principle of collective bargain
.ng." What some overlook is the
fact that this acceptance was
willing and voluntary and not
forced by law.
There is no statute in Great
Britain compelling an employer
to recognize a labor organiza-
ton and to deal with it; there
is no law forbidding him to urge
his employees to Join a union
which he believes responsible,
or any union for that matter;
there is nothing forcing the
signing of conceive agreements.
In fact, what little compulsion
there is seems to be applied to
labor organizations which Cd
are required to obtain written
authorizations from members
permitting the S of their dues
or assessments for political pur-
poses, and to report to the gov
eminent in detail on money
spent for political purposes; 90
are forbidden to engage in
sympathetic" strikes designed
to coerce the government or
harm the general public; 90
may not mass pickets in sufflc-
lent numbers to keep people
from working if they wish, or
in sufficient numbers to intim-
idate non-strikers; 90 are
barred from calling strikes in
violation of contracts by those
engaged in public services, like
transportation or public utili-
ties.
The British go even further
that that. The right to strike"
is technically protected by law.
But many labor contracts stip-
ulate specifically that negotia-
lions toward settlement of a
dispute may not proceed while
a strike is in progress.
Also, contracts for a closed
shop requiring every employee
to belong to a union despite his
personal wisheS) are described
by the Commission as "excep-
tionai." And the check-off un-
der which the employer deductS
union dues from the pay of his
employees is said to be very
EXCEPTIONAL"
The whole British effort, in
short, is to let the government
serve all the people rather than
individuals OF groups. It seeks
to preserve individual liberty as
the basis of sound government,
to prevent strikes because they
harm many persons not direct
ly affected, to subordinate the
welfare of any organized minor
ity to that of the whole popula-
ton.
How much the United States
will learn from this study is
doubtful. But application of the
sensible British statutes and OBJ
j~ectives would be a far cry from
the American system under
which only employers can sin
Imagine the British prosecuting
GEE WNI1N GoN'I WoPp0