Show j I National Topics Interpreted I by William Bruckart National Press D C. C Washington The The nation is continuing contin contin- continuing to witness labor disturbances of an exceedingly More Labor serious character Troubles Many p per persons e r s son o n s thought when the bi big sit down strikes in the automobile automobile automobile automo automo- bile industry were settled without serious bloodshed that we were on the way out o of labor trouble in this country The feeling in this regard had some confirmation when the gre great lt United States Steel corporation corporation corporation corpora corpora- tion reached an agreement by which John L. L Lewis and his faction of organized labor was recognized as the sole bargaining agency on wages for the greatest single unit of steel Unhappily those circumstances were not indicative of an end They did not presage peace between labor and employers ers The conflict is continuing continuing continuing con con- and I believe holds the elements of much more danger than we ve have yet et experienced Because of the conditions that are now apparent apparent apparent ap ap- parent and those which happen to tolie tolie tolie lie ahead the recent speech by Edward Edward Edward Ed Ed- ward McGrady Assistant Secretary of Labor becomes both interesting and significant Mr McGrady it willbe will willbe be remembered made a speech at it Atlantic City New Jersey in which he said boldly to the members of the 1 garment workers union that i if labor and capital both are to survive there must be a sincere effort on the part of each group to understand understand understand under under- stand the problems of the other He reduced the differences between employer and employee to the simple sim- sim simpie pie formula namely that representatives representatives representatives represent represent- of each side i if they expect to todo todo do justice by their own people must sit down at a table and talk things over honestly Now the Assistant Secretary's Interest In terest in labor cannot be questioned He Is a former official of organized labor During his term as Assistant Secretary he has been exceedingly active and earnest in his attempts to solve labor problems and bring about industrial peace His efforts at conciliation cover the range from the bitter maritime strike on the 1 west coast to the more or less inconsequential in- in inconsequential inconsequential in in- consequential sit-down sit strike of a hundred employees In a hotel here herein herein in Washington So it seems thoroughly fair tair to assume assume assume as as- sume that any advice given by Mr McGrady must include absolute justice for the workers Mr McGrady believes that the irresponsible practices which lead to tre treat t labor employers represents represents- representatives representatives tives as agitators are due to ig Ig- Ig- Ig norance On the other hand you cannot help reading between t the h e elines lines of his recent speech an inference inference inference in in- ference at least that he regards some labor representatives as quite l I as i irresponsible responsible as some em em- players His view in this regard is is indicated by the stress the emphasis emph emphasis em em- ph sis which he laid upon the importance importance importance im im- im- im of discipline among union members together with his assertion that labor must recognize the sanctity sanctity sancti sancti- ty of its contract with the employers employers em em employers just as much as the employers employers em em- players must recognize the validity of their contract with labor labori Mr McGrady pointed out what losses result from shut-downs shut or strikes and declared that the efficiency efficiency effi ei in production which the country country country coun coun- try has a right to expect from industry Industry industry in in- cannot be achieved unless labor and capital work together Further the Assistant Secretary observed that responsible labor leadership must place efficiency and elimination of waste and loss among its objectives if organized la labor labor labor la- la bor is to achieve a worthwhile goal Mr McGrady's exposition of his r conception of at reIa relations Hons between employer employer em- em and emSee emSee emSee em- em See c Ray comes a s of Hope something of at a ray of hope to the great masses of American citizens who are neither employers of at labor nor DOl members of labor unions I have said in these columns before and andI I repeat that the tragedy of conflict conflict con con- between employer and employee employee employee em em- organized capital versus organized organized organized or or- labor lies in the ta fact t that there are millions of people in the therole therole therole role of at innocent bystanders They are the individuals who suffer most It is inevitable that they must suffer suITer because in a nation whose comm commerce com corn m merce and industry is as complex as ours every time capital or labor abuses the powers entrusted into its hands those who are not members I of either group pay a penalty which is not possible of measurement This characteristic of life obtains not alone in the United States It exists in every civilized country to the extent that that country is industrialized in in- in There is no better evidence of the truth of the statements I 1 have just made than an incident which occurred a few days ago in the house of commons in London Stanley Stanley Stan Stan- ley Baldwin prime minister of England England England Eng Eng- land and one of the most powerful men among foreign statesmen today called attention to a dark cloud which he saw on the economic horizon horizon horizon hori hori- zon of time Mr Baldwin was speaking Ito to his colleagues in the house of commons something in the nature of a valedictory valedictory valedictory tory because he is soon to retire from public office after three dee dec ades of service to the government I happened to have had the privIlege privilege privilege lege of close contact with Mr Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Bald Bald- win when he headed beaded his country's debt refunding commission to the United States more than fifteen years ears ago F From om that association ion I learned to respect his mental capacity capacity capacity capa capa- city and his ability to foresee coming coming coming com com- ing events When he says therefore that labor and capital must be honest honest honest hon hon- est with each other I 1 cannot help feeling th that lt Mr l Baldwin foresees the possibility of bloody clashes and unsound results in the offing conditions conditions conditions con con- that will flow from the abuse of at power Mr Baldwin told the house of or commons that You will find in our modern civilization that just as war has changed from be being a struggle b between e t w wee e e n professional armies with civilians comparatively uninterested in it so the weapons of ot industrial warfare have changed from arms that aff affected comparatively comparatively small localized business into weapons that affected directly those who have no concern whatever with the issue except perhaps natural sympathy with their own class The British prime minister added that under such circumstances the one thing we must pray for not only in our statesmen but also in ji trade union l leaders aders and masters is wisdom it It seems to me that Mr l Baldwins Baldwin's admonition can be uttered uttered uttered ut ut- ut- ut from high places in hi our American Ameri Ameri- can government with a value just as important as he gave to his words The fact that Assistant Secretary McGrady has been been the only public official to speak so frankly and so honestly is comforting but it is to tobe tobe toe be e deplored that he alone has spoken Since there are ominous signs In Ina a class struggle that unfortunately has been promoted Nothing in this country it Doing seems to me the attention of at t the h e people ought to be directed somewhat somewhat somewhat some some- what more t to conditions in congress Some months ago I wrote in these ese columns my fear tear that the current session of at congress was going t to leave eave a rather dull record for having having hav- hav ing ng done nothing Thus far my fears have been justified to the fullest Congress went into session in the first week of at January To date therefore it has been in session five months Its record of accomplishments accomplish accomplish- ments includes passage of four appropriation appropriation ap- ap bills providing money for foor or federal government departments departments departments depart depart- ments the Vinson Guffey-Vinson little coal law and the cash and carry neutrality law law- lawI I do not see how ho anybody can be enthusiastic about those accomplishments Passage of appropriation bills is mere routine usually because in most cases they involve no controversial question at all Passage of the neutrality ac act likewise was an action about which there could be little dispute even though there may have been plenty of at grounds for tor disagreement over the type of law enacted That leaves therefore only the Vinson Guffey-Vinson coal bill over which there could ha have ve been much delay in m house or senate debate All of this makes the picture look even worse for tor congressional congressional con con- gr gressional leadership There is talk already about adjournment adjournment adjournment ad ad- of congress as soon as ashot ashot hot weather strikes Washington Washington- and the temperatures can get very high and unpleasant While this undercurrent undercurrent undercurrent un un- un- un of at talk is not yet in an important volume it emphasizes the fact that there Is a growing body of legislators who see no possibility of at accomplishing anything worth worth- while in the current session But what are the reasons Having gone rather thoroughly into this situation situation situation situ situ- I think there are two factors to be considered One Is the lack of capacity of the leadership among both Democrats and Republicans and the other is traceable to the White House President Roosevelt for four years has told congress what to do and to that extent has destroyed the initiative of the legislators legislators legislators legisla legisla- tors as a body and now that some members want to to reassert the power ver of of c congress the Presidents President's organized spokesmen appear not to know w what to do f It may be said that the immediate cause of the failure of congressional leadership to get Leadership much of the legis legis- Fails 1 l a at t i 1 v e program out of the way in m five months is the controversy resulting resulting resulting re re- from Mr Roosevelt's proposal proposal proposal pro pro- to add six justices justices' of his own choosing to the United States Supreme Supreme Su Su- Su- Su preme court That statement in my opinion is only partially true There are many senators and representatives tives otherwise loyal to the President President dent who now feel that the court re-organization re plan cannot be put through But those spokesmen thus far have not advised the President frankly of their views and in consequence consequence con con- I sequence the court bill is still in inthe inthe I Ithe the way To that extent then the legislative leadership has lacked courage and Mr Roosevelt has re adamant which possibly charges him with some responsibility iii ty in the legislative stalemate e Western Newspaper Union |