The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-04-11
Legislation Banned As Strike Panacea
Spokesmen for Labor, Industry Address Diocesan Labor Institute Meeting; Capacity Audience Present

Legislation to control strikes would serve no useful purpose, spokesmen for labor and industry agreed last night at the third an- naul forum series of the Waterbury Chapter, Diocesan Labor Institute, opened at The Elton. An overflow crowd, which included many prom inent representatives of manage ment and unions in this area, at tended.
 The speakers were Harry Read, executive assistant to the national CIO. secretary, and Cyrus s. Ching, director of industrial and public relations for the U. s. Rub- Der Company. Rev. Joseph F. Don nelly, director of the Labor 1nsti- ute, was moderator.
 "MOral Law"
 "Every working man has a prop erty right in his job" declared Mir Read" The moral law gives him right to earn his living, and under our social system his job is his means of a livelihood. There are ample laws to protect management; what we need are laws to prevent the troubles from which strikes stem"
 "A law prohibiting strikes would be futile," asserted MT. Ching" we have too many laws already, ana more of them would lead to tull government control, meaning that we'd have politicians splitting in our faces. What we need instead of laws controlling strikes are more common sense and decency, more sense of responsibility both man. agement and labor"
 MT. Read contended that sucn devices as mass picketing are the only means that labor has to at- tract public attention to Its claims. Picketing, he said, is the labor equivalent of large sums spent py management for newspaper advert isements expressing its views. :.
 "There has been no law proposed to curb management from using such ads, or even to make manage rnent tell the truth in then," said the CIO. official.
 Labor plus capital results in pro- duction, said MT. Read. Since man aRement retains the right to with draw it's capital at any time, ne argued, then workers have the right to withdraw their contribution their labor.
 Labor Big Business
 MT. Ching said that as one mem Der of industry, he does not "froth at mention of the Wagner Act, but does dislike it's preamble, predicated on conflict between employer ana employe. Organized labor today IS biz business, he held, with its 10 million members yielding tremen- dous power but being immune from anti trust, monopoly and restraint of trade laws that apply to others,
 Organized labor" he said mas at much at stake as the investors; We just can't go on quarreling ana souabbling; we have to find a bet ter way, and passing laws wont do it. If both sides don't show more sense of responsibility, the puplc may rise in disgust and say a plague on both your houses.
 During the question period. MT. Ching told an inquirer that the hest method of achieving manage ment labor cooperation is to "oury our hatreds, our prejudices and our bias" Each side should study tne others problems, he said.
 When a woman questioner askeo why she had been obliged to join a union and pay dues, MT. Read expressed the opinion that she hao never rejected any pay increases or other benfits won by the union. The democratic process, he Salo' IS based on majority rule.
 George Troelich, union leaoer AV the U. s. Rubber Company in Nau- gatuck, asked if management were not taking advantage of arbitration clauses to raise many disputes ana lessen labor's trust in arbitrators.
 Arbitration Best
 Arbitration appears to be the best system yet devised" replied