The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-12-17
RIDING
AT ANCHOR
MIR. MODESTUS

One of the little comets flashing in
the great constellation of the early
days of the New Deal was Raymond
zon he still flashes occasionally. One of
his recent flashes carried small hal
lucination, purporting to disclose as Il
reality the following message:
THE discovery that most of the sub
stance of collective bargaining has
gone takes time" (See Newsweek,
Nov. 80, 1922
We quite agree: 1t will take lot
of time.
Because millions of new workers, in
new industries, under conditions so
new that former procedures have had
to be laid aside under the pressure of
war emergency, have reduced the eX-
tent of industrial disturbances to an
astonishing minimum, has fuddled Mr..
Moley's mind Il little. But, instead of
marking the function Of organized la
Dor, and of the principles and methods
of collective bargaining, in the ac-
complishment of what has amounted
to q veritable revolution in the mechan-
isms of industrial relations, the gentle
man substitutes his obvious wish for
accomplished facts, and proceeds to
tell the world
X X X
There are a few such minds i'm
perviouS to the plain meanings of the
strides made in social progress during
the last few months. But we doubt if
even Tom Girdler would agree with
Mr.. Moley.
Here is his statement of what de-
Ceved him:
1T is still possible for unions to
draw up wage demands and present
them to their employers. 1t is still
legal for employers to discuss them.
The law, in fact, requires employers to
consider them where they are present
ed by the duly authorized representa-
tives of their employees But as for
granting wage demands or reaching an
agreement granting workers a wage
increase, the old essence of bargaining
has been transferred to the National
War Labor Board And the Board
doesn't bargain. 1t decides"
Now, if the war We're going to last
forever, and the temporary structures
of its administration were to be sub
stituted for the whole legal structure
Of the national definition of industrial,
as well as other, relations, Mr.. Moley
might be-cOuId be-right. But that is
assuming Il lot of things, which Mr.
Hitler even might desire, for Il very
different state of postwar probabili-
ties.
Our pseudo social scientist might as
well derive Il complete demolition of
the whole competitive structure, as be-
tween automOtiVe manufactures, from
the present magnificent and efficient
pooling of engineering wisdom, for in
stance Nothing like the latter has ever
been seen in this world of mechanical
industry; and the desirability of its
accomplishments might well go far to
suggest its permanence. But what kind
of Il RECOMMENDATION" that would be, in
whatever name it might be proposed !!
X X X
1t is true enough just at present,
that well-intentioned but obdurate en-
ployerS, or workers getting the
"SqueeZe' between rising rents, food
prices, and the like, are compelled to
continue the making of war materials,
while waiting for the cooler and less
frictional processes of the War Labor
Board
But the very thing which makes it
possible 10 reduce what otherwise
would he IL state of industrial anarchy
i'll the midst of war emergencies, to a
state of rational and continuing war
production, with Il fair certainty that
the difficulties, arising from whatever
Facts, have II prospect OF elimination.
is the prior existence of the very
structure of industrial relations, based
upon collective bargaining.
Without that structure, there would
have to be, in yeritablc reality, that
state of dictatorship which 50 many
enemies of collective bargaining have
been SO loudly prophecying
As il is, democratic methods are be
ing applied, by people who secuted the
idea some months ago.
And as Il matter of fact, those who
were the main proponents of the old
methods of fighting it out" with the
help of army and SheriifS, probably
are rather enjoying the more peace
able processes of the very thing they
formerly refused TO look at.
x X x
The large fact remains, that the
principles and methods OF collective
bargaining are meeting the StiffeSt test
TO which they could be subjected. And
your old friend rugged individualism"
is not carrying off any of the honorS