Evening star., 1941-02-04
Strike Arbitration Bill
Is Vital in Defense,
Says Ball in Forum
Senator Explains Plan
For Cooling or Period
Prior to Stopping Work

Senator Ball, Republican. of Min
nesota discussed Labor Relations
In Defense Industries" in an address
last night in the National Radio
Forum, arranged by The Star. The
speech was broadcast over a ma
tional hookup of the National Broad
casting Co. and was heard locally
over Station WMAL.
The text Of the talk follows:
This problem of developing bet
ter and more efficient labor relation
procedures In the United States is
not a new one. 1t has been with us
for at least century. During the
last so years especially 1t has been
the subject of ever-jncreasing in
vestigation and public discussion
and debate. The growth of both
labor organizations and business
enterprises have increased the mag
nitude of the problem and its COM
plexities. Today we have single
plants employing upward Of 10000
men. A Stoppage of work In such a
plant as a result of labor dispute
cannot but have a tremendous effect
on the community and often on an
entire region.
Actually, the techniques and pro-
eedures used in handling labor dis
putes have improved steadily in re-
cent years. Both employers and
union leaders have been and are
learning, Much improvement is
due to the fact that labors right to
organize and bargain collectively has
been written into our statutes. II
is now fully accepted by all but
very few employers who are still
living in the past and who resent
labor's Use OF its collective power to
obtain for itself a larger share in
the fruits of production.
Fewer Strikes In 1S48.
Strikes are declining. Depart
ment of Labor statistics show that
during 1910 there were 1s0 fewer
strikes than in 1899. Only half as
many employees were involved. And
the loss in man days of work in 1910
was only about one third of that
In 1889. Our labor relations today
are much better than in 1915 and
1917.
But despite this progress, the prob
lem has come forcibly TO the front
IN recent months because of labor
disputes closing some plants pro-
ducing for our national defense.
Time is of the essence in our ire
mendous effort to make the defenses
of this Nation impregnable against
any possible attack Unfortunately,
for every flrst-line combat plane
which we possess today the aggres-
sor nations against which We are
srming have at least 20 and possibly
so. For every trained and equipped
division of fighting troops which we
have today, they have at least 10.
It is therefore essential that we arm
completely with all possible speed
And every time plant producing
planes or guns or ships is shut down,
labor dispute, it slows up our de-
fense production. Every time
cantonment building job is shut
down as a result of a labor dispute
1t sets back so much the date when
troops may be moved into that can
tonment for training.
There is involved not only the di-
rect loss of the planes and guns
that might have been produced dur
ing the days the plant was closed,
but there is the indirect loss which
results from the disruption of pro-
duction schedules and the bitterness
between employer and employees
which always follows any plant shut
down due to this cause. Any labor
leader and any employer who has
been through it will admit that after
a plant has been closed down as
result OF a labor dispute, 1t often
takes months and even years TO re-
store the harmonious relations and
the teamwork between manage
ment and employees so essential to
speedy and efficient production. 1t
is my opinion that these indirect
losses due to plant shutdownS as a
result OF labor disputes are far
rea ter than the direct losses in
production which might have taken
place during the shutdown.
That Is why today the public,
management, organized labor and
the Congress are all concerned about
this problem of labor relations. With
the dangers threatening our Nation.
we simply cannot afford to permit
ANYTHING to slow down our defense
efforts.
Voluntary Change Takes Time.
If these we're normal times, be-
lieve it would be wiser to leave this
problem to the parties directly con-
cerned-management and labor.
am sure that in the course OF the
years they would voluntarily work
out fair and equitable procedures
which would eliminate to an ever
increasing degree stoppages Of pro
duction due to labor disputes. L
believe that eventually, when they
had perfected these procedures to
suit themselves, they probably would
come themselves to the Congress
and ask for enactment of legislation
writing these procedures INTO the
sta atutes. But, unfortunately, that
sort of development. and it is a
development which fits best into the
pa ttern of our democracy, taxes
time. years of time, and today we
cannot afford that time. l belleve
1t is essential that procedures be
worked out Immediately that VIII
reduce to the absolute minimum
stoppages of production due to labor
disputes.
We do have some models and some
experience on which to draw. Note
worthy among these is the Railway
Labor Act. 1t is significant, be-
lieve. that this act, which has
virtually eliminated major stop
pages of work in that industry, was
the result of nearly 40 years of trial
error and experience. Congress
enacted the first railway labor ois-
putes conciliation law in 1888. and
made one or two other attempts
before 1926 when the railroad
brotherhoods and the big interna-