Evening star., 1945-11-18
Real issues Dodqed
In Labor Conference
But Business, Union Leaders at
Least Get to Know Each Other
By James Y. NeDton.

Least Set 10 NnOW EaCn Otner
By James Y. NeWton.
One participant has summarized the
first two weeks of work OF the National
Labor Management Conference by say,
ing the delegates readily indorse
motherhood and the Ten Command
ments but are unwilling to take any
steps to fight SIM" This accentuates
a fear felt all along that the conference
would produce only generalities and
meaningless platitudes instead OF con-
cretely constructive recommendations
for costly industrial conflict.
1t is still too early to tell what the
final products will be, although both
sides have demonstrated reluctance to
recede from positions held through the
years, generally the the causes of strikes.
The conference represents as many
shades OF opinion as there are in Amer
lea. The dificultieS are obvious in
bringing so many divergent ideas to-
gether and getting positive action. There
must be give" on all sides.
But whatever happens individual
management and leaders will leave the
meeting with better understanding OF
each other. The heads Of great busi-
ness enterprises have visited" with
union bosses. They have met together
countless hours in committee sessions
There has been thorough exchange OF
views, and the chances are they have
found the real aims Of both sides are
not very far apart.
This is an unusual conference, the
first of it's kind where industry and labor
ever sat down together and conscien-
tiously strove to make future life in the
country easier. The sight OF William
Green. Philip Murray or r. j. Thomas
Of the Auto Workers consorting with
members of the National Association
of Manufacturers is startling to a per-
son accustomed to reading the almost
daily exchange of sulphuric blasts. Yet
such groups emerge from conference
rooms without court plaster or bruises.
Regardless of final results the dele
gates have worked hard. A committee
trying to find the answer to union
jurisdictional strikes has been in almost
continuous session since the big meet
ing started, just to use one illustration.
Chairman Walter p. Stacy keeps re-
minding delegates that it is up to them
to prove that democracy works, remind
ing them that a goodly part of the world
we hope will follow our way of life
has q watchful eye cooked on the meet
ing to see if America can work out
her postwar problems in democratic
way.
There have been differences and tiffs.
1t is interesting to note, however, that
most quarrels have been within the
labor or management delegations and
not between them.
Industry people at least have discov-
tered that John L. Lewis or Mr.. Green
or Mr.. Murray will not bite them and
vice versa. In fact management roundly
applauded a speech of Mr.. Lewis. one
delegate describing it as The best free
enterprise appeal ever heard"
Inspired by opening speeches and
kCuSI dAttCS CAtdhutAAS Ai0Ah tAaC WA
ference, an observer who may be classed
as something of cynic wrote . skit
that possibly is prophetic of the meet
ing's outcome. 1t is entitled THE
Cliche Expert Looks at Labor" an inter-
| view with Frank Sullivans imagin-
ary character, Mr.. ,Arbuthnot. Here are
some excerpts:
Mr. Arbuthnot, understand that you
have been making a study of the cur
rent labor crisis"
That is right, sir"
do you consider it important to
eliminate industrial conflicts in the
atomic age?"
Absolutely. How can We expect world
peace among nations il we cannot secure
industrial peace among management
and labor?"
That question cuts through to the
| heart of the matter Mr.. Arbuthnot.
How can we eliminate industrial con-
| f1icts?"
by collective bargaining"
Are you referring to free collective
bargaining?"
II am. There is no substitute for free
collective bargaining between free man
asement and free labor. Collective bar
! gaining in good faith"
How is collective bargaining carried
on, Mr.. Arbuthnot?"
by management and labor sitting
down together to explore their mutual
problems"
Around the conference table?"
"You took the words out of my mouth
Sitting down together around the con-
ference table"
What happened to collective bar
gaining during the WARP"
"Our collective bargaining machine
grew rusty during the war"
With what did our collective bargain
ing machine grow rusty?"
"Our collective bargaining machine
I grew rusty from disuse."
Are you in favor of compulsory arbi-
trstion, Mr. Arbuthnot?'
"* / am unalterably opposed tc
compulsory arbitration. Compulsory ar
bitration is abhorrent to our tradition
Of free collective bargaining"
We'll. then, when negotiations break
down, must the parties resort to their
economic strength?"
THE public will not permit such tao
tics. Labor and capital must escheu
industrial warfare. The law of Justice
must replace the law of the jungle
would you advocate the prohibitior
OF strikes?"