The Daily Alaska empire., 1948-10-16
The Maritime Strike
Seattle post-Intelligencer)

Seattle Post-Intelligencer) The maritime strike which has immobilized all shipping enterprises the Pacific Coast for more than month is providing persuasive and conclusive evidence Of the vital need for reexamination in the next Congress of the whole field of labor relations law
 management problems except by strikes the country could ill afford the exorbitan and prohibtive costs of such prolonged work stoppages the current maritime strike.
 But since there not only other ways but vastly better ways the grievous and ncacuabe losses thus sustained wholly indefensibe and unjustfi- able.
 It is utterly unnecessary and nexcusable that a labor controversy, such that prevailing in the mari time industries of the Pacific Coast, should lead to strike.
 The issues between the shipping employers and unions, lacking settlement by direct negotiation and agreement should go automatically before com potent court of arbitration with adequate powers of hearing and decision.
 All labor disputes should take that wise and reasonable course. The basic and permanent law of the land should require it, not matter of ad vantage or disadvantage to any of the disputants but as an utterly esentia matter of national welfare and security.
 In the of the current Pacific Coast mari time strike which amply emphasizes this point the costs are already enormous and shocking.
 At the end of the first month of the strike ITS American ships idle in our Pacific Coast ports and when all vessels at sea reach port and are tied up at least 375 ships will be idle.
 In the first month, the strikers and other mari time workers forced out of employment lost nearly 10 million dollars in wages
 Moreover, many industries unrelated to the mari- time industries but dependent upon their services nave been curtailed forced out of business al- together.
 Although this comes at a time of great potential prosperity the Pacific Coast it creates situation worse than depression.
 With respect to the maritime enterprises alone, the losses devastating
 Even before the strike, the volume of American maritime business-a vital factor in the prosperity of the country-was in state of decline
 At the time the strike was called, American ships carrying less than half the total volume of Am ercan foreign trade.
 Without the strike, American shipping volume was slipping swiftly back to the prewar level which was less than 30 per cent of foreign trade.
 The strike ncapacitates a vast part of our American maritime enterprises and if continued will certainly destroy it.
 Of course, the American people cannot afford such losses in strikes in the maritime industries or in any field of national production and service.
 Since the vital interests of the American people are so impaired by strikes, why do we persist in national policy of impairment?
 national structure of Federal courts of arbitra- ton should be established by Congress. with authority to render decisions in management disputes and to enforce them. Industrial peace should be maintained in the United States under the reasonable and impartial laws the country, just property rights are protected by law and all the other rights and liberties Of the people are sustained by law
 Why should any part of the economic life of the country very possibly the whole of it. be permitted lie stagnant while labor-amanagement issues are re- solved in passion and violence?