Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-11-11

v UdI gaining
too, and, when an inter-union dis
pute arose, the National Labor Rela-
tons Board conducted an election
wherein lawfully authorized bar
gaining agents were selected. But
still there is dispute and it has
reached such grave proportions that
Gov. Dickinson of Michigan has
issued an appeal to the people to go
to the churches to pray.
"All reasonable appeals" says the
Governor, have met with rebuff and
the only power not yet invoked is
Almighty God. Thousands of men,
women and children are on the
verge of acute suffering from lack
of food and necessities"
What reasonable appeals" have
been made, what are the issues, who
is in the right, where is there a
readiness to survey effectively the
causes of the dispute, and, finally,
what help can come from prayer
alone If the disputants do not search
their own conSciences and the same
time to determine the truth under
lying the differences that have
arisen?"
Public Can Be Arbiter.
These questions cannot be an
sWered from a distance, but the
Governor Of Michigan can outline
them to the public in fair and dis
interested way. No important labor
dispute in America has ever con-
tinued very long when public
authority has seen fit to disclose
the facts upon which public opinion
can be crystallized.
To invoke the aid of Divine Provi-
dence is new turn in public affairs,
especially when it is apparent that
the Federal Government, with its
vast lowers, has failed, and that the
Government of the State of Michi-
gan also has failed. But prayer has
been offered before and has failed,
possibly because those who pray are
unwilling to turn the searchlight on
themselves to learn where dishonesty
and pride and selfishness have been
factors in the welding of economic
power either by employers or by
employees, OF both.
So far as can be determined from
what little has been revealed about
the Chrysler strike, the issue is
simple one. The workers leaders
want to control production as they
do in Russia. 1t matters not that
the unions take none of the risks of
capital and assume none of the re-
sponsiblities of managing the many
elements of modern industrial
corporationn, but the unions ask
that the rate of production be sub
ject to their veto.
The Showdown" strike is the new
weapon. 1t can be demoralizing to
efficient operation of motor plant
and already has become so. To slow
down cylinder blocks means lack of
production on motors. Also, when
car bodies are in the stage of pre-
welding and painting, the showdown
means partial welding, so that
painting cannot be done. When
partially welded bodies are set aside,
congestion occurs, confusion of as
sembly results, production is reduced
and the famous quantity produc-
ton plan, which has given America
each year recently better and better
cars for every dollar spent, is
knocked into collapse.
This means that Chrysler dealers
have no new cars to sell, statesmen
are idle, collateral industries which
furnish materials are forced to
close down, and, in short, the whole
economic process in a major indus
try is paralyzed.
There is plenty of Federal law to
prevent economic power in America
from being used in such devastating
fashion to interrupt interstate COM
merce, but the Department of JUS
tice, in line with the policy of the
present administration, has hesitated
to prosecute a c. I. o. union. al
though 1t has not hesitated to indict
A. F. of L. leaders in the building
trades. No reason for this hesitation
has been offered, and it may reside
in the fact that the c. I. o. is a
political ally of the administration,
whereas the A. F.. of L. is not. Such
an inference may do an injustice,
but, in the absence of explanations
concerning the Indifference of the
Federal Government to what is hap
pening in Michigan, the belief will
grow that Partially is being shown.
Justifies Original Opposition.
Interruption to production by one
device or another is an old tech
nlque, but this does not make sabo-
tage lawful. Control of production
schedules by workers committees is
the basis of the system in Russia,
where capitalism is taboo. Is the
Russian system what the c. I. o.
wants for America? If so, then
collective bargaining was properly
fought for generations by employers
and investors alike, not because the
process itself was considered an I'M
deserved privilege for labor, but be-
cause Of fear of the communistic
use or abuse Of the collective bar
gaining power itself.
II collective bargaining is to con-
tinue to be guaranteed by Federal
law, Congress may find public opin-
ion soon demanding that there be
safeguards enacted so that a CORE
spending sense of responsibility can
be required where collective action
by private groups is permitted.
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