Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1945-10-04
/ Might Be
|WrOng--But
P. G. STROMBERG

general conversation currently is
the "strike epidemic" and the
probable economic effects on our
early postwar era. 1t is per-
haps fair to state that no man
lives who knows the exact an
swer. Certainly the answer lies
somewhere between the radical
labor leaders
"Strike who make inn
Epidemic" possible demands
Main Topic and the back
ward thinkers
who feel that we must return
to our old scale of pay and
prices. Seeking that answer has
absorbed our best talent for gen.
erations. And in the effort we
have either shutdowns or strikes
and both tear apart our national
existence.
There is a middle of the road
course and that course must be
found before communities, cities,
and even the nation are set back
and inconvenienced. The loss in
manpower, as an illustration,
caused by the strike of elevator
operators in New York last
week, as represented in dollars
to workers OUTSIDE THE
STRIKERS totaled a staggering
figure. Those people, members
of other unions, were forced into
idleness for the week through
no fault of their own. Those
employers, many of them en-
ploying only a few, who lost
huge sums, cannot recover these
losses. The millions Of dollars
which would have normally
flowed through business chan
nels will appear as definite
loss to New York. So that when
labor leaders consider a walk
out there should
Middle of be som e o n e
The Road among them who
Course has considera-
ton for mem
bers of brother unions. And
when a strike ends neither side
ever wins on all points. Like all
other efforts the final agreement
is compromise.
If we are ever fortunate
enough to find the right answer
we will have gone long way to-
ward living more peacefully
under our own system of govern
ment. 1t seems that an accept
able method could be set up
which could be empowered BY
LAW to receive, consider and
render decisions on all questions
arising between group employees
and employers. First of all the
Federal Government must be in
the number one position. We
could adopt a committee of five
patterned somewhat after the
War Labor Board) one repre-
senting the Federal Govern
ment, one representing the
union effected, one from the
ranks of labor (outside the
union effected), one representing
the general public. Thus we
would not only have labor rep
resented but we would have
labor represented in dual ca
pacity, /. e., from the selfish and
interested angle and from the
point of view of whatever effect
the case at issue would have on
unrelated unionists.
The government head Of this
group should be a Presidential
appointee with approval Of the
Senate. Other members could
be named as
Strong Hand occasion arose.
In Washington At least such
Needed a setup would
prevent condi-
tons such as the country faces
today. AS the outlook appears
we have won the war so far as
the Axis powers are concerned
won it completely. But we
haven't won at home. Even now
we don't have the things for
which all our energies were
bent.
Sometimes it seems that what
is needed more than anything
else is a really strong hand in
Washington. AS stated by a
writer recently what we need is
another Theodore Roosevelt with
the, big stick. We need Wash
ington leadership which will not