The Wilmington morning star., 1946-01-17
STRIKES. ONE CLEAR THING
TO DO

STRIKES: ONE CLEAR AuANU
TO DO
The board in the General Motors
Il strike has, it seems to me, made
one thing quite clear. 1t is that
fact-finding can be done effectively
without the trimmings which unions
and management have objected to
In the President proposal of Dec.
8 Mr.. Lloyd K. Garrison and his
associates found the facts that
needed to be found without ex-
aiming the company's books and
without imposing a cooling OFT
period on labor.
These trimmings raise issues
which have nothing to do with fact
finding as such-for labor the
right to strike, for management
the right of privacy in a system OF
private competitive enterprise,
They could and they should be sep
arated out and considered sepa-
rately. For the purpose OF fact
finding is to induce labor and
management to agree; the purpose
of the trimmings is to coerce them
into agreement.
There is no certain reason tor
thinking that indirect coercion OF
the kind the President proposed
would be successful even if it is
DIES rable. But there is no doubt
whatever that the fact-finding, as
Mr.. Garrison and his associates
have practiced it, is desirable and
necessary The trimmings call for
thorough debate whereas Con-
gress could without hesitation and
delay give legislative approval to
fact-finding as such-s.nce that
would mean only that it was giving
its moral support to something
which the President has the power
to do anyway.
Those who point out that Mr..
c. E. Wilson has rejected the
boards recommendation and that
the strike continues should ask
themselves what reason they have
for knowing that Mr.. Wilson would
have given in if his books had been
opened or that Mr.. Reuther could
have kept the men cool if there
had been a compulsory cooling off
period There is, in other words, no
certainty that the trimmings would
accomplish by indirection what no
one would, in an industry ike the
automobile, think of doing directly
namely to forbid strikes and to
substtu compulsory. arbitration
and the fixing of wages by law.
Industries where interruption OF
Service is intolerable to the COM
munity may require this-for ex-
ample, utilities and conhmunica-
tons They should not be Jumped
together, as the President did, with
steel, automobiles, aviation, and
mining where stoppages, though
announcement andcostly, do not at
1ect immed ately the health and
security of the community. What
would be sound public policy for
the vital industr es should not be
confused with what would be sound
Tor Industries that are merely big
and important.
The railway labor act has work
ed-on the railways, which are gov
eminent regulated monoplies; it
ooes not follow at all that it would
work for automobiles and steel,
which are privately managed and
IN considerable degree competitive.
1t is for these unregimented in
oostrles that fact-finding as such
is the first necessary measure to
promote industrial peace. What
ooes fact-finding do, as Messrs.
garrison, Milton Eisenhower, and
o'acy have practiced it? 1t does
not unearth new and hidden facts
~ does not ''find'' facts. It takes
Lhe facts, as they are alleged to be
W management and by the unions
- 1hen compares these partisan al
.nesauons, analyses them, screens
"em. refines them, debates them
a T II may say so, delcuses them
cnen It measures them by estab
nSned standards of public policy
ana makes a public report which
Gays what these men, chosen be
eause they are disinterested ane
.alonal, think would be the rea
sohable settlement if all the ex
assefat on and the propaganda