The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-28
, Fair Enouuh
BY WESTBROoK NJ

10 hno" mat views and 0n;u
ions expressed in this .r,: Upa'
are those of the author ':,1s aas
may not always barrnoasana sna
with its position.-The z,Gi.las F,di.aA
WASHINGTON, 4. Feb. 27-As,,-
ing that most American v,o,, nSsoH
are patriotic citizens Who b"OiAiA' ,i'
not willingly impede or sah.. soa'
the preparations to fight 'O.aa -
then it follows. I think, tbs. va W
would welcome legislation ySi,l ~
would make it impossible for WI! "~Y
leaders to call them out on s.-Il ul
except as a last resort in ~ ~
with an employer over hon., Y.
pay. The need for legisIafoS
this effect is apparent becanSa
cent court decisions have bels |
substance, that a labor leader 4
no guide but his own conscj.!
which may not be reliable Y
employer already is ruled bv Il
governing his labor relaH'.
which are not equally bindjrs ]
the unions and, being. on the .,
age, a patriot, he will co.oos,s
or yield in most cases becaua ]
wants to go ahead with tbs i
and knows he will have to Il
way, whether he likes it Or :,
The union leader. too, NAV be y
en- credit for patriotism, bm
much is left to his own judgra
that he practically writes hiS 4.
laws.
The laws which now put The =,
ployer under compulsion We're n,
ten on the theory that, win.
compulsion and restriction
would run wild. The empIa,,
however, is no worse or be4s
as a man, than the labor lead,
and, therefore. the reStrict,
should be equal.
Stop Work
No employer in the whole vm
States has the individual nm
that is possessed by any me
many union leaders who r
cause jurisdictional strikes win
may spread endlessly. When n
eral unions are thrown out Of v
by no strike or grievance Of d,
own, but because a strike ii
key operation makes it imps
BILE to proceed with the job
patriotic members stop work
cause they simply are unable
go ahead. The roofers can't
ahead with the roof if the
gers strike down in the excaya.
over a dispute as to wh
miners or day laborers should n
a rock. Such a dispute is held
be a strictly private spat.
The house of labor and the w
ent laws permit no interference
the national interest, even thc1
soldiers be sleeping under caHy /
in zero weather for lack Of hcI
ing. The workers who are
off not only suffer loss Of yag
during the tieup but are preveld
from doing a work which appel
to their patriotism.
Would legislation here conSt@ |
government control Of labor
so, what of it? The fact is ID +
labor organization has grown
fast for its leadership and nov
a huge, powerful, clumsy tN'
which, in a moment of bad judi
ment. may cause great harm eyi
though the individual WorkerS va !
to settle disputes REASONABLY n
produce results.
But there are degrees Of g
ernment control, and certalng
would be no disaster to the "a
and file to place the unions na
laws designed to prevent inter.
tions of work or total loss Of
ployment and consequent delaN
the war program. The diSasG
labor would be much worse L
reason of stubborn or treache'
union leadership the national
fense should fail.
Some Interference
Interunion strife has caas|
some interference with the p
gram up to now, but appafeI
not much. and both big norl
seem willing to compromse \
ferences. Yet the facts Een1
that some delays have been cau1
and that the whole national
gram is at the mercy Of uIl
leadership and subject to inc Il
will and good judgment Of
leaders. ..|
In such a case what help c'
be given by William Green WI WIZ
a strict constitutional labor e@1
tive with no power to force
promise or give arbitrary ~
ments. considering his 1aSua
respect for the autonomous y;
of unions infested with CROOKS;
Green might say, Nov y.
please" and the combatanl
ers could tell him to mlnd hs
business, and that would Oe
After all, the people VINO
the unions these powers re'am
right to curb them in the lnE,~ ~.
of national defense or IN 'lle .ir Il,
ests of the members thells''
There are. by their CLAIMS,
about eight million memOtn,
both big groups-a small f>l~I
of the total citizenship anu ~.
noritv even of the working III
lation. That these eight III, ,-
minus the reluctant or Cssr ,,e|
members who have joined a5 .ris|
their will. should be indeps,s "a
of anv control, when even