The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-11-04
Arbitration
Nv ARTHUR KROcK

BY ARTHUR KROCK
WASHINGTON.-Th The Presidents broadcast
on labor disputes, accompanied by his re-
yised wage adjustment formula, was devoted
in great measure to a plea for the spirit of
cooperation and mutual understanding be-
tween industry and its workers on which he
said the success of any plan must depend
But this spirit has been notably absent in
recent mana gement-labor exchanges, and to-
day few would venture to predict that the
Presidents invocation, or the general agree
ment to the unexceptionable axioms he stat
ed, will restore it.
The reception of the speech and the Execu-
tive Order by persons close to both sides of
the growing national controversy suggests the
answer Hotspur made to owen GlendoWer
when the Welsh chieftain proclaimed he
"could call spirits from the vastly Deep
why, so can I, and so can any man." re-
piled the young Percy "but will they come
when you do call for them?'
The response of labor and management to
the Presidents appeal for more construc-
tive attitude toward each other, more COM
nonsense appreciation OF each others prob
lens and rightful expectations, will first be
tested in the conference that has been sum-
moned for the early part OF November. Al
ready, however, labor is resisting the sug-
gestion that it renew its no-strike pledge of
NAN~>~~> O~> 49,
merous occasions as material advance to-
ward the halfway mark. And already man.
agement is drawing back from commitment
to collective bargaining which would be left
to the Interpretation of the political power,
fearing the construction would be that such
bargaining is not real unless demands are al
ways met in substance.
Unless a broader formula than the PreSi-
dents, on which reasonable wage-and-hour ne
L. ,o61 iS 20
outcome of the conference, and with the for
mula an enforced determination to abide by
it, little hope was expressed here today by
experts in industrial relations that Mr.. Tru-
mans speech and Executive Order can be re-
solution. By these his plan was held to be
lied on to bring the issue nearer to peaceful
inconsistent in part with his axioms and stat
ed objective, and they turned their eyes on
ia. conference and Congress and the correc-
tive legislation it is considering.
One of the many advisers on whom the
President relied for the patchwork of ideas
that took form in his speech made two points
about it to this correspondent today, one hope
full, the other not Mr.. Truman he said, was
planning as late as last Thursday to confine
himself to statement and an amended Ex-
ecutive Order, but he was prevailed on to
go to the country with a full-length speech
in which he would stress the need of mutual
understanding and recite the problems OF each
industrial group. But Mr.. Truman failed to
touch the situation Of workers in industries
that are continuing on the wartime basis of
48 hours week, who, when they note that
40-hour workers are getting almost as much,
will quit or strike and thus cut down the
high productivity the President set as a ma
tional standard.
This disparity was implicit in certain
passages of the broadcast, and Government
boards could readily effect it in their find
ings. The President did say that wartime take
home pay could not as a general practice be
expected by labor, now that the war is over.
But he did not indicate in any way that those
workers on 40-hour base pay should expect or
accept reductions to the amount of hours
less earnings than those whose industries are
proceeding on the 48-hour basis. Mr.. Truman
sanctioned the 40-hour week a standard,
but he did not explain how this could achieve
the production he comedies to be necessity.
ut is pretty hard,' said one informed critic
''to give birth to triplets-to preserve the au-
thorities and positions of Chester Bowles, John
Snyder and the CLIO. at the same time.''
Others noted that the President dealt with
the excess profits tax as a reservoir for
wages, not as the temporary war measure it
is but a a producer Of fund to which the
Government was entitled in wartime and
therefore labor should be given in peace. Mr..
wise and successful management has laid by
an industry as another reservoir from which
to draw wage increases. But labor spokes-
men have cited it as such, denying that this
project amounts to socialism.
So many minds and pens joined and clashed
in the preparation of the broadcast that its
inconsistencies and omissions are not surpris-
ing. The analysts Of such compositions are
sure they recognized the plain track of Judge
Rosenman, Robert Nathan and other New
Deal economists and literary amanuenses. But
they are equally certain that in other passages
they came on the footprints of Mr.. Snyder,
Of Chester Bowles and of Philip Murray. The
latter were definitely missing in the place
where the President might have fixed per-
centage for wage increases and did not. But
the tracks of Mr.. Snyder and Mr. Bowles,
though at times these suggested scuffle end
ing in draw, were heavy throughout the
area of compostion.-New York Times.
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