Evening star., 1941-10-07

about what 1t does not do. and why.
In the first place, this bill doesn't
undertake to do anything about pub
lie utility rates-charges for trans
portation, whether by rail or water;
electric lights, gas, telephone or
telegraph. There are State and Fed
eral laws under which most of these
things are subject to some measure
of regulation.
Secondly, it doesn't undertake to
flx wages. AS you know. we have a
good deal of legislation on the books
designed to bring about a system of
fair wages. There is the National
Labor Relations Act and the various
correlative State laws, the Wages
and Hours Act. the Walsh -Healy
Act and numerous others. Besides
this we have many agencies of Gov
ernment set up to administer these
laws and to deal with labor prob
lens. Most active today are the
National Labor Relations Board, the
Wages and Hours Division and the
Cancellation Service of the Depart
AAi~AAS Va |tcOIS cIlSl Vic dclCllSt
program itself the Labor Division of
the 0. P. NJ and the National De-
tense Mediation Board.
In this country, as in other demo-
cratic nations, like England and its
dominlonS, we have placed our re-
lance on the fixing of fair wages
by bargaining. Over a period of
decades, by slow growth. by trial
and error, we have evolved a work.
able system whereby the employe
and the employer settle their wage
contracts between themselves. Some
times the bargaining is done indi-
Vldually In recent years the en-
phasiS has been on collective bar
gaining under broad standards set
by custom and by law. In England
despite the terrible pressure and
agony of attack. the precious right
of bargaining on wages has been
retained. England has placed a di-
rect responsibility on labor for pro-
duction, and as a nation it is proud
OF the response which free men have
made to the needs of the crisis.
wages fart OF Costs.
l do not mean by this that every-
one Is satisfied. On the contrary.
there Is constant pressure BY the
Government and by public opinion
against excessive wage demands.
But this is recognized as part of the
democratic process by which free
people govern themselves.
Let me be plain and clear at this
point as to my own feeling about
wage control. I believe wages. like
every other cost, must be kept in
bounds. | believe that we cannot
avoid an inflationary spiral if wages
rise exorbitantly and require COM
modify price increases to take care
of them. However, democratic
country has no choice but to rely on
its system of bargaining to establish
wage levels. UnWarranted demands
and oppressive strikes to enforce
those demands can be dealt with by
special means.
believe that national policy on
wages during the emergency is grad
ually being formulated, and I fur
ther believe that it may be neces-
sary, just as it was under the pres
sure of war circumstances before.
to have a national expression and
acceptance of standards to be OBJ
served in wage negotiations. I know
very clearly what Sidney Hillman
does at the present time when con-
fronted with an unwarranted wage
demand which threatens the ma
tlonal interest. I know too that he
is working and in some instances
has been extremely successful in
establishing area agreements for the
stabilization of wages in selected in
duStries. 1t is my feeling that the
number of these Stabilizing agree
ments should and will increase, but
l am completely opposed to any
policy which would attempt by legis-
lation to freeze the wages and SAL
aries of every single employe and
employer in this country. 7 further
believe that if hill m fraeze oil