Evening star., 1945-12-03

All who think seriously about the
problem of reconversion-of chang
ing our economy from war to peace
realize that the transition is a
difncult and dangerous task There
are some who would have the Gov
ernment, during the reconversion
period, continue telling our citizens
what to do, as was so often neces-
sary when the very life Of our Ma
ton was at stake during the period
Of world conflict.
That, however, Is not the policy
of the Government. The policy Is
to remove wartime controls as rap
idly as possible and to return the
free management Of business to
those concerned with it.
/ It was for the express purpose of
getting away as soon as possible
from some of the wartime powers
and controls that the recent Ma
tional Labor Management Confer
ence was called In Washington. In
stead Of retaining In the Federal
Government the power over wages
and labor agreements and indus
trial relations which a global war
had made necessary, the top leaders
vited to recommend a program un-
der which labor relations would
be turned back into the hands of
those involved.
Worked Out BY Leaders.
1t was decided that full RESPONSE
bility for reaching agreement on
such a program would be left with
the representatives of labor and
management. Accordingly, the con-
ference was made up Of leaders OF
labor and management only. Gov
ernment representatives participated
only as observers, without vote. The
agenda and the entire program were
worked out by the leaders them
selves.
| In opening the conference I said !:
I want to make it clear that this
Is your conferences management
labor conference-and not q Gov
ernment conference. You have not
been chosen by me or by any Gov
ernment ohicial. You have been
selected by the leading labor and
industrial organizations in the
United States There has been no
interference by Government in that
selection.
THE time has come for labor and
management to handle their own af-
fairs in the traditional American
democratic way. 1 hope that I can
give up the Presidents wartime
powers as soon as possible, so that
management and labor can again
have the full and undivided respon-
sibility for providing the production
that we must have to safeguard our
domestic economy and our leader
ship in international affairs"
Farley Is Progress.
I am sure that it was the hope of
the American people that out of this
conference would come some rec
ommendation for insuring indus
trial peace where collective bargain
ing and conciliation have broken
down.
The conference is now closed. The
very fact that the top leaders of
labor and management have met
and worked together for more than
three weeks is itself some progress.
Some agreements on aaxew gen
eral principles wefes also 1eN5,ed.
For example, agreement on the
principles OF collective bargaining
and recommendation on the de-
tailed procedure tosbe used agree
ment on STRENGTHENING and enlarg-
ing governmental conciliation serv-
ices; recognition of the necessity
of eliminating discrimination in en-
ployment; agreement on settling by
voluntary arbitration grievances
under labor contracts and disputes
concerning their Interpretation
these are all valuable.
But on the all-important question
of how to avoid work stoppages
when these expedients have failed,
the conference arrived at no accord.
Failing in that, the conference was
unable to attain the objective most
necessary to successful reconver-
sion.
viii Block Reconversion.
II industrial strife continues, the
quick reconversion which has been
planned, and which Is now proceed
ing on schedule or even ahead Of
schedule on many fronts, will fail
In that event, we shall face a period
of low production, low consumption,
and widespread unemployment-in-
stead of high production, high en-
ployment, good markets and good
wages that are within our grasp.
The history of labor relations has
proven that nearly all labor disputes
can and should be settled by sincere
and honest collective bargaining.
The vast majority Of those disputes
which are not adjusted by collec-
tive bargaining are settled through
Government conciliation. For ex-
ample, during the month of Octo-
Der last, "a sstrikes were settled by
the Cancellation Service, and 1882
labor controversies were adjusted
before any work stoppages occurred.
The American people commend
the many instances where manage
ment and labor have settled their
problems peacefully. Many Of these
were in critical industries where
work stoppages would have gained
great prominence In the newspapers
and over our radios. But when In
dustrial disputes were settled, little
notice was taken of them by the
press and radio.
We know, however, that there are
always some disputes that cannot be
settled in this way.
Government Must Act.
Industrial strift In some key in
dustries means not only loss of q
great amount of wages and purchas-
ing power, but it may have ramifica-
tiOnS tlnrnllphOlIt the colf1trv affect !.