Evening star., 1948-08-04
Compulsory Arbitration Approved.

Compulsory Arbitration Approved.
To the Editor of The Star:
Joseph L. Miller in his letter published in
The Star, July "a, referring to Gerard Reilly's
proposal for compulsory arbitration of labor
disputes in the railroad industry. makes the
point that If this principle should be applied
to such disputes there is no logical reason for
not extending it to any industry of public or
quasi-public utility nature and that from that
step there is but short distance to applying
it to the steel or automobile industry. His
argument seems to run further that Government
fixing of wages and working conditions is un-
desirable. That well may be true.
The argument, however, seems to beg the
basic question. We already have governmental
fixing of wages and working conditions. Not
too long ago the Government seized the coal
mines and then negotiated contract with the
UNIV. The mines then were turned back to
the operators to run under the terms of that
contract. This was governmental wage fixing
which ignored the rights of the operators. More
recently, after the railroads similarly had been
taken and q permanent injunction (Which still
is in effecD against striking had been secured,
a so-called settlement was announced. 1t was
alleged to be voluntary.
The writer for some years has been student
of labor problems and has had some experience
in the field, but he was unable to discover from
the newspaper accounts just what the "hooker"
was in this particular settlement. It would
seem quite certain that the unions involved
must have gotten something more than the
other IA unions which settled their demands in
the traditional manner. 1t seems that Mr..
Steelman was the agent through whom this So
called voluntary settlement was reached. To
my mind, it was governmental fixing of wages
and working conditions. If we are going to
have such wage fixing, would it not be prefer
able that it be done after public discussion and
hearing before a board composed of industry,
labor, and public representatives which would
render awards based upon announced policies
rather than by kind Of secret diplomacy
which involves Mr.. Steelman's running back
and forth between various doors in the White
House as he contrives deals based upon Machia-
vellian expediency.
It well may be that compulsory arbitration
of disputes in industries affected with vital
public interest" may lead to similar develop
ments In other industries, but sufficient unto
the day is the evil thereof. The immediate
problem is that the public has pretty well de-
cided that we cannot afford strikes in the vital
industries that have been mentioned. II that
decision is to have meaning. then channels
must be provided through which organized
labor may express its legitimate demands but
which at the same time provide expression for
the interests of employers and the public. Ira
ditional collective bargaining can be effective
only where the employer has the right to sus-
pend his operations and the employees to with
draw their services in concert. In the industries
of which we are speaking. the employer, either
because Of law or public opinion cannot sus-
pend his operations and the employees right to
withdraw their services has become so atten-
uated Is to be for all practical purposes fic-
ton. A social decision has been made that we
cannot afford traditional collective bargaining
In these industries.
Mr.. Miller suggests that We meet the ntua-