Show l HD HDa a and tl c N NATIONAL API TAL Carter CarterField Field V Washington There There are certainly signs igns In Chicago at the conference between railroads and labor that on in the part of those particular laor la la- bor or leaders at least there is promise of 1 e a rule of reason For the first time since this coun coun- try ry started to work out of the de de- labor in these conferences confer confer- despite the knowledge that the administration is on its H. side Ide has as shown a disposition to let the employer live and make a profit pronto This doesn't sound as 81 though 1 it t were much of a concession Some might think that of ot course labor would have to take this stand as It if 1 there were no profits profits profits-It 11 the employer em player did dial not live there live there would be e no jobs Every employer who has had la labor la bor bar troubles however believes that It t is simply impossible to exaggerate e ho the Importance of ot dealing with labar la labor la bor bar union representatives who agree frankly rankly that the employer should not only live but should maka make mak e a profit And It does docs not often happ happen n that labor representatives In n a conference with employers have been willing seriously to discuss discuss dis cuss abandoning restrictions on or their employers which they hoped hope d to 10 o obtain by law lawlA I IA A case cose in point in the railroad d labor abor negotiations Is the bill pendIng pending pend ing In con congress greIS which restricts th the e length of freight trains trains generally generally y called the 70 car 70 car bill Most experts expert s agree that this Idea is not primarily y In n the Interest of safety In fact lac G some lome contend that it would Increase e rather than diminish hazards I It ItIs Itis eI I is primarily to force the employment employ employment ment of ol more men to operate more mor I trains But the railroads railroad contend conten d that it would not only increase e their pay rolls but would cause congestion con In railroad terminals a at t times when there is a rush to ship p perishable freight Sounds Sound Reasonable Now the point is that this bill U passed the senate the senate the greatest greater t deliberative body In the world with hardly any discussion It wa was s stopped in the house not because e of the actual strength of its ire o op opponents p but because of ol other things Those who wanted to stop it t ha had d the advantage of ol the crowded clo closing clos eloa s ing days of ol a session They ha had haJt the advantage of ol the wages an and d hours bill and others othera far lar m more re spectacular spec spectacular than the car 70 train bit bill But Dut railroad representatives here her e admit privately that they have ame small ll hope of ot killing it next session If 11 th the e railroad unions continue to prey press s for its passage So the willingness of so many la Is labor la bor bar representatives at this Chicago o conference to call caIl of off oft passage of ol th this is law was not an empty gesture The They y were giving up something the they 7 thought of ol real importance in ord order er to permit the railroads to ma make ke e enough money to give them an ac advance ad vance In wages It all sounds reasonable enough h but it was spectacular in labor r relations re reo lations history of tremendous 1 to every employer of la labor bo Sr bois and to every person living in th this is country as indicating a long step ate p towards industrial peace Most observers are inclined I to think that this conference Is a stra straIn straw w in the wind indicating the trend o of labor relations for the next yea year r This view may prove too optimistic c There is no certainty certaInly about it Bu Dut Buit t it seems probable for lor several everal re rea sons One is that intelligent labs labor r leaders realize they have a mu much ch aroused public opinion to deal wt with th There is more sentiment than the they 7 like for lor something they would fig figh ht to the last ditch to avoid avoid n of ol labor unions for lor their actions actions ac ac- a a lions clinched on them by a la law w forcing incorporation of ol unions Find Ally in Lewis Lewi The bituminous coal producers producer ra may find John L. L Lewis a very p potent po tent ally on one of the problems th this thais that tha thatIs at is worrying them more than an anything any thing else ebe This is U government competition on for the coal industry from hydroelectric hydroelectric hydro hydro- a electric power developments I It just so 0 happens that Mr Lewis is very strongly persuaded that all aU th hydroelectric stuff is the bunk I He lie Te believes that electric current can b be produced more cheaply from co cothan coa coal al than from water power even and under er circumstances circumstance favorable to econom m iral ical water power development Fu Fur Fur- then Uler he believes that the engineer rn of the electric industry have to long rag since pre-empted pre most of the sit site s promising low tort cost development It also happens that Mr Le Lewis Lewi has haa expressed himself very forcibly ly about the lobbyists who come t to Washington paid by local chambers chamber ra i of commerce and other association na i and maneuver ver to get big power developments de I financed by the fede federal rat treasury in their localities Naturally Mr Lewis has pointed Sad out out this W. benefits that particular an community during the period o of const u So would tearing down downa dos do's dosa n a row tf of houses on one side aide of a i street and nd c them again in lA precisely the same condition on the theother other therl The local focal merchants would be selling sellin groceries and clothing ane and nd drugs to the workers The loal local lo- lo cal al doctors docton and dentists would Metting be M g letting etting some come tees fees from the rho tran tran- slants But Dut when the whole job Is competed com plated Lewis points out it takes very few men to take care of the dam and the electric plant Wheres Where Where- as s a lot tot of coal miners are out of ot work wreck forever as a result Agree With Lewis It so happens that ever every one Inthe Inthe In Inthe the electric Industry agrees with Mr Air Lewis in n ever every particular on this particular subject little as they ma may think of his C C. I. I O. O and Ideas about gratitude in politics etc elc The point they make is la that the government government govern govern- ment right tight now In this electric bus busIness busl- busl ness nesa Is la gambling with the peoples people's money The point Is la that the chief cost coat of et f producing electricity from a hy I development Is interest I Ion on the coat cost of ot the project protect Due to I abnormally low interest rates at et I present they present they being held down by I artificial government restrictions restrictions- this particular item of cost Is very unlikely to decrease Quite the con con- teary When the bonds sold now to finance such developments mature the he government Is more likely to pay a much higher rate rale But Dut the cost coat of producing electricity elecy elec from other sources is extremely ex cx apt to become became less len Mr Lewis says ays current currert can be produced more economically now from coal than from water power Most engineers en agree But Dut not after the dams dame and hydro plants are built I providing the cost of these dams and end plants is charged to profit and loss loan Nearly every year the cost of producing pro pro- during dudne current from coal Is ii reduced Every few months there is la some Improvement in Diesel engines which makes the production of current cur rent from oil all cheaper No one knows know when the terrific waste now Involved i In n cooling systems will be noted But Dut scientists say ray It Its It's coming com I l ing ag and will revolutionize the production pro pro- of power cutting Its Ita coat cost toa to toa a fraction So it might pay the coal barons to have Mr Lewis discuss this ques quer question tion Uon with them to their mutual ad vantage It would certainly drama drama- dramatize dramatize the the situation before the countr country and tend lend to stop top more government competition I Scribe Scribes Snicker The fiendish glee of antl anti anti-adminis column writers over the dis covery that Charley Charle Michelson premIer pre pre- premier mier mire Democratic press preas agent attacked at tacked lingo Hugo L L. L Black Dlack in 1920 as at a Klansman and as 81 unworthy to fits fill the shoes hoes of Oscar Ocar W W. Underwood Is la a rather interesting commentary on how haw the status statue of the once Abused press preas agent has advanced In the thelast loaf last decade Also on how much this same acme Charley MIchelson has haa done to advance it But Dut it is s also rather amazing in that it has always been the accepted accept accept- ed doctrine that newspaper men I who wrote editorial or policy Into their stories at all aU Injected the partisan par Usan flavor desired by their bones bosses I ISo So that unless one assumes that bosses employ writers solely for the brilliance of their writing or perhaps per per- haps hops in order to present all sides of the picture the slant taken by the writer is In accord with the editorial editorial edito edits rial policy polley of the paper It so happens that the New York World at the time Michelson wrote this attack on Hugo Black Dlack had been running an anti Klan anti Klan crusade This crusade was conducted by men in the New York office attire only helped out in pinches by the Washington bureau of which MIchelson was the head It also happens happen that the World was of ot all the outstanding newspapers news papers paper of its lie time the most anxious to have Its editorials backed up by news new stories starter Interviews and color colorin in general Brought Up Reserve Reserves As A. a matter of fact there was a sort ort of reserve staff stag consisting of ot otten often ten or twelve young oung men working for lor other though other though never rival rival rival- papers Generally these were youngsters covering the senate or house of ol representatives for non non- New York newspapers or press services They would be called on the telephone as soon as the chief chie of the World bureau received his orders and directed first fiat to read th the editorial for which endorsements were wanted and end then get iet them This policy accomplished th the point of indicating to World readers that their paper had a tremendous following among the government o ot of and important persons gen really The World did dial not pay money mono mon ey for endorsements It t only paid hacks hack to get them Later Laler on Michelson went to work for John J J. J Raskob and did his amazing job of ot smearing Herbert Hoover probably the most effective press job ever done In n this COWl country try When the they were thrown out the window hi to the 1032 1992 Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic convention Michelson was re reo rained b by Franklin D D. D Roosevelt and James A A. A Farley Farley hat has been writing Farleys Farley's speeches and many others ever since ince and cheerfully blasting bloating his hI former employers Raskob and aDd Jouett Shouse The whole point Is fa that a good press agent works for his hie employ ers ens and shoots shoals at whatever target the they direct just as a good lawyer resorts to all aU sorts sarti of ot legal as well as sound argument tn to attack his clients client's opponents opponent O Q eta Bell Syndicate ServIce |