Evening star., 1945-11-09
Letters to The Star
Readers Continue Discussion
of Strikes and Consciousness

Readers Continue Discussion
of Strikes and Consequences
To the Editor of The Star:
We hear much these days OF the right
of labor to strike. That word has two
edges. If labor has right to strike,
then likewise management has an equal
right to strike. And the public, the
third party in every strike, also has the
right to strike to protect itself. And
when the public strikes, it can result
unpleasantly to the offending party.
What is this right to strike, which SO,
many think is organized labor's exclu-
sive right? 1t Is an organized attempt
to force an employer to comply with
| labor's demands through q stoppage OF
work, that is, through the application
of economic force. Now no one denies
| the right of an individual worker to
| quit his job, provided there is no breach
Of contract. But an organized stoppage
of work, If continued, will ruin an en-
| ployer. If one contends that 1t is right
to ruin an employers business. then it
Is equally right for the employer to ruin
the livelihood of his employees.
The Constitution of the United States
guarantees the right Of all citizens to
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
| The right to life is the right to work
for a living. Therefore, a xicket line
violates one of the fundamental rights
guaranteed under the Constitution. Do
the striking workers claim that their
| jobs belong to them as matter of
right and that no other persons can
take their places? Do they claim pro-
prietary rights to their jobs2 If so, then
they can buy and sell jobs as they would
any chattel. If they claim such pro-
prietary right, under what authority of
law or morals do they make such a
| claim? If such proprietary right does
not exist, then they have no moral
| right to interfere with any one taking
the jobs they vacate through strike.
A picket line also denies to the en-
| ployer his fundamental right to make
| living. 1t even goes further and de-
| nies to the employer his right of access
| to his property and his right to the dis
posal of the job he has created through
| his efforts and his capital. A picket
! line, which is the accompaniment Of
| every strike, is an attempt by force or
working. 1t frequently results in violence
and bloodshed and even murder. Is
violence a right?
The right" to strike, affirm, is not
right at all. But the public has a
right to exercise its constitutional right
to protect itself, the employer and the
employe who wants to work. There are
other methods of settling grievances
than through the use of economic or
physical force. s. r. BAUER.
| To the Editor Of The Star:
What In the world is wrong with
American labor today? If they would
just settle down and logically think
forgetting mob rule), they would find
they are accomplishing very little by
striking. No wonder they need money
when half the time they're not working
no wonder they need money when they
pay such large sums to keep union lead
ers in the millionaire class.
I would like to say: Strikers, it's
time for you to wake up and stop max
ing every one suffer because you can't
figure things out"
AN AVERAGE CITIZEN.
To the Editor of The Star:
The hour has struck for Congress te
act in order ito establish justice, to in
sure domestic tranquility, provide fol
the common defense, promote the gen.
eral welfare and secure the blessings
Of liberty to ourselves (the public and
our posterity." a
The dirty deal" handed the people
Of the Washington area Tuesday morning
without warning by deliberate walk
out of the members of the streetcal
and bus operators union is the straw
that breaks the cameps back. Congress
should act promptly to correct abuses
imposed upon the public by a fraction
Of l per cent Of the population.
A national law should be enacted tt
make 1t mandatory upon any and al
groups or organizations to give ampl.
weeks, II not months notice to tn,
public in general before any walkout
strike, raise or reduction in wages woulc
be legal. There has been too much
suppressing, passing the buck, dodgins
the issues, quibbling. debating, sof
peddling and wishful thinking in tn,
past on the part of newspapers ant
Congress. FRED E. THOMPSON.
To the Editor of The Star:
I really think that the people o
Washington should be commended upol
the way they have risen to the trans
portation situation caused by the street
car and bus strike.
In my office, division of the Pos
once Department, located in the Cit,
Post Office Building, there was 10
per cent attendance-that is, no one wa
absent due to inability to find trans
portation to work.
Glancing out of the window at CLOSING
time at North Capitol street, notice,
that motorists were very kind in pick
ing up those waiting on the sidewalk
In fact, there was even less waiting tim
than If the pedestrians had waited TO
crowded streetcars in which to stant
and be jostled.
Iwonder if the streetcar and bus com
panies aren't a little bit surprised at hoy
well the people have gotten along with
out their services. And it also leads on
to think that the same services could b
done away with entirely, if private auto
mobilists were given the opportunity o
picking up paying fares all the time
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