Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-12-23
Guest Coumnist for LPA's Bradford V. Carter
WE HAVE LEARNED, gradually throughout

Guest COlumnist for LPA's Bradford V. Carter
XXTE HAVE LEARNED, gradually throughout
w our history but more rapidly n recent
years. that in increasingly complex econ
omy it is necessary to do together through
governmental agencies, many things that cam
not be done as well, or at, by individuals
or even by private organizations. The fact of
basic importance for our way of life is that
we must continue to DECIDE for ourselves, by
free discussion and decision by democratic
means, what it is that we need to undertake
by governmental action.
There are areas of social needs still lying
beyond the present scope of governmental pro-
grams where public action vii be required
But it is a sign of individual vigOr and inde-
pendence as well an indication of social
health that we seek to re tain maximum areas
of activity for the individual and for private
groups of individuals Individual intative may,
Of course, be supplemented and reinforced by
private group activities such as cooperative
societies, group insurance, and perhaps chief
ly important labor organizations.
It is true that even in these fields notably
in collective bargaining, experience has dem
onstrated the necessity for a measure of gov
ernmental Intervention to make sure that the
evil rights and constitutional liberties of free
association are not interfered with. That was
the basic puhpose of the Wagner Act Never
theless unions and collective bargaining are
outstanding illustrations of the persistence of
American ideals of self-help and private in
itiatve.
One of the most promising of non-develop-
ments in recent years has been the rapid ex-
tension of unioniSm to areas and industries Of
low wages This development has undoubtedly
been major cause of the progressive develop
ment in the wages and working conditions OF
low income groups 1t Is noteworthy that
unions in recent years have widely accepted
the principal of Narrowing the differental
between the wages of skilled and unskilled
workers Skilled workers have widely accent
ed and even demanded wage increases no
larger in amount than the increases for the
unsklled, and this has in part accounted for
the relatively small percentage rise in the
wages of skilled workers All the non-operat-
ing railroad employees, for exemple, have
Joined together for obtaining flat increases
the same in amount for section men and
laborers as for machinsts and other skilled
groups Unions have also strongly supported
the principle of the minimum wage
The idea of collective bargaining in one
form or another is now almost universally ac-
cepted. 1t SENS appropriate, however, in this
connection to make note of the general theory
of collective bargaining in relation to wages
and economic welfare.
The right to form unions free from outside
Intervention and the right TO deal collectively
with employers arose primarily from the in
equality of individual bargaining power. The
simple and obvious fact of inequality was
long obscured by economic theories such as
free and unlimited competition, and by ju-
dicial interpretations Of such doctrines as free
dom OF contract and cOnspiracies in restraint
of trade. The inequality of the called indi-
vdual labor contract was definitely recognized