La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959, August 19, 1922, Image 7

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La Grande evening observer., August 19, 1922, Image 7

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Newspaper Page Text(Eranur tottttt VOLUME XXV SECTION TWO LA GRANDE, OREGON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 1922, MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS NUMBER 272 -V4 mm sees El G01IH6 IN STRIKES Since "War Strike "Curve' ,, Has I Seen Below Point Called Normal. BUSINESS IS COMING AHEAD Noted Statistician Claims Labor Will be Hard to Deal with in the Future hut That Everything Will . Work out All Hitfht. (Specln! to The ODurver) WELLES1.EY HILLS, Mass., Aug. 19. In vew of the newspaper space recently tuken by the coal strike, rail road stiike, and certain textile strikes, wp are prone to think that strikes are very general at the present time. 'Roger W- Habson, however, refutes this opinion in a statement issued to day, as follows: "As a matter of fact, wo have very few strikes at the present time. Ever since the war the strike curve has been belpw the point which was then called 'normal.' The fact that we have had three strikes of large dimensions blinds us to this basic troth. Two of these strikes, the coal strike and the rail shopmen's strike, arc in indus tries which have not been deflated, so fnr as war time wages go. The other the cotton textile strike, has been par tially deflated and the trouble is about going the rest of the distance. The difficulties in these three industries are then cases of belated hostilities. Summer Always Brings Strikes. "For the most part labor is not striking, wages are being gradually let down to lower lev- and the disposi tion of men is to keep at work. Thero is always a rise in the strike curve during the summer- We are having that rise now. Nevertheless, wo are not having the number or the wide distribution of strikes which he had last year or at any time since 1916. We will not have a repetition of those conditions pthis year. Tliu strike curve is nearer normal than almost anything ifl.se in industry. "As to the future, the answer is to be looked for in conditions. What made the tremendous wave of strikes which marked the years 11115 to 1U20 ? The simple fact that there were more jobs than men; that the cost of liv ing was going up; that labor was in n noaition to force the issue- No such prospect is in view for the cars right ahead. Therefore, we need not look for a repetition of the strike condi tions of the war days. Those days art passed. Nevertheless, we are going to have strikes. There are going to be a good many of them. They are going to be called for reasons other than the ones that backed the strikes f war time. Then men went on strike for more pay. They were courageous, confident, buoyant. They were sure of success. They were seldom disap pointed. In the future just ahead, they are going to strike against wage cuts, against attempts to rule out the unions- They ner not going to be as successful as they were in the war time strikes. Labor to lie Sullen. "In consequence of this the real oucstion of the next few years is .is to the frame t-f mind which Labor i.Si8(M, to aend thelr delegates to Po- to navi:. in vvni ...... "-0 buoyant cunmlcnce 01 me war y-a",i,,.lrv Labor is now going 10 ue uiicii, iu sentl'ul, reveniiiful. What they do not i?ain in on-n victories, they are (jo ins to be disposed 10 accuuiiman u.v indirect means. A man who cannot gvt his pay raised can stall on the job. He can get the ue.-t of his bo.-s by all kinds of nasty tricks in the factory. , These are sfcrt-sighted policies.' In the long run they' work to the dis-j advantage of Labor. Still, they are the usual recourse of Labor when it is met by obstacles that do not yield. ' 'Hight here is the problem uf the emplover of the next few years- Hov shall he meet the new temper of La- ( bor' In my opinion that ugly tem- per must be met by open dealing, by setting before Labor the facta under which business is done and by admit tinu Lalwr piogressively to a greater! share in management oi the elements of the industrial relations which-most directly concern Labor. That is to say: the time to develop personnel departments, set up profit-sharing, or ganize shop committee and all of the rest of the things thit belong to this ,.i,.ca i not. when Labor is in the saddle and holds a gun at the employ-' cr's head, but when the employer Him self is in the saddle and is in the posi tion to dictate terms. Sees Shortage Coming. "The employer does not have to take this reasonable coulee if he dot not want to. He can u--e these next few years to pile up trouble for himself and his successors in days to come. If, however, the employer is wise, he will take advantage of his Position to set up the best kind of machinery, wi'h which to defend himself and his in dustry. It is not a question of strikes in the immediate future. It will be a question of sabolagc. Sabotage, however, is worse than strikes. It demands its own treatment. I "In view of hwe comlitrcns, inves tors should give more thought to the kh nniii, of the companies in thv tiurchafe securities. A' examination of corporation earning. i shows that the labor policy is the great determining factor between prof it and loss during normal times, ims especially applies to various concerns in the same line of industry. I hey all pay approximately the same, price for raw materials; they all have prac tically the same hours of work, but one company succeeds and the other fails. Statistics show that the differ ence is largely due to their labor and financial policies. Therefore, conser vative investors will seek securities of comoanics which have a broad-mind ed labor policy, and which companies are now developing plans which will be of use when the next period of prosperity comes. Ice cannot be gath ered in tho summer, but must be put up in the winter when it is not needed. The same principle applies to Ijibor. Labor troubles are very difficult tJ settle when they occur. Wise manu facturers prepare, during such times as these, Dreventative measures that! Iabi troubles will not occur when times are good." , General business is holding its own, according to the index of the Babson- chart. It shows activity today at per cent below normal as compared with 9 per cent last week and miiim 18 per cent a year ago. Frank JIMer Tells Baker Commercial Cluh Tfliat Strahorn lias Said he. would Build Central Ore gon Line. BAKER, Aug. ID. Thore Is a strong probability of early railroad building in Central Oregon, according to Frank Miller, former public ser vicer commissioner, who was in .the city Wednesday to address the Cham ber of Commerce in tne interest or the commercial organizations of West ern Oregon and the Southern Pacific. Mr. Strahorn stated that he recently met Robert Strahorn, at Bend, who is ntcrested in railroad building, and quoted Mr. Strahorn as saying ha would build the road across the cen tral uart of the state to Crane, with connections to Klamath Falls and Bend and a feeder connecting with Lake view. Mr. Strahorn also stated, according to Mr. Miller, that he is confident there will be sufficient tonnage from tho territory to bo covered to give a return of li per cent on the investment His plan of railroad building will call for abnroximately 400 miles of track Mr. Strahorn was building a road out of Klamath Kails on this prcgram at the onening of the world war ana was forced to suspend operations when ccst of construction began soaring He has recently resumed work and now has men laying steel on a part of the completed grade out from Mam ath. VISIT POLAND WARSAW, July 14. (By Mall)., The Polish American chamber of commerce announce-, that in order to increase trade relations between the United States and Poland, an Invitation to visit Toland lias been extended to various American trade concerns and financial Institutions. In answer to, thin invitation. 22 They aro expected to arrive in the Autumn. 1 AMERICANS ID Living Room Furniture of Merit Easy Terms Overstuffed Suites aild Davenports in Tapestry, Velour and Mohair. W. H. Bohnenkamp Co. CHRISTIANIZE INDUSTRY PLAN British Churches Unite iu a Remarkable Survey tof Conditions Followed by Conference. (By Milton Bronner.) LONDON. Aug. lt Is modern busi ness Christian? Do people nowadays confine their religion to an hour or so on Sunday and forget it the rest of the week?- These are Questions ail Christian churches of Great Britain Catholi and Protestant will try to answer in a remarkable conference of citizens ana experts in April, 1124- A similar conference may be hold in the United Mates, Elaborate Plans. Questionnaires are being sent out and elaborate plans are being made by committees. The tit. Kev. bdmund A. Knox, Bishop of Manchester, is president of tho British conference. 'Vhe honorary secretaries arc a Quaker woman and- an Anglican clergyman. and council members include Church of England clergymen, re p res cntu lives of all evangoiical churches and promi nent Catholic priests. "Property and industry" is ths questionnaire subject expectc to com mand most serious attention. "Tho purpose, of industry," says the council, "is to supply the needs of the community- In present prac tice the choice of the consumer, back ed by ability to purchase, is accepted as the arbiter of what those needs are. and causes the appropriate goods and service to be put on the market. This choice is considerably influenced, by the producers who push their own goods." To Christianize Industry. Finally a program is set forth which! its supporters believe practicable and I capablo of Christianizing industry.i and the council asks whether tho: who answer the questionnaire consid er tho program Christian in character and the first step toward a really Christian society. This is the pro gram : l. minimum wage law, witn se curity for adequate leisure. 'I. Prevention ot casual employ ment 'and unemployment. 3. Workers' maintenance during involuntary -unemployment. 4. Abolition of labor of children under ltf. G. Publicity for co;;ts and profits in industry. 6- Taxation to correct inequalities of dependence of mothers and chil dren. 7. Administration of monopolies as public services. 8. No payments to able bodied adults except for service. 9. Democratic control of industry by all engaged in it by representa tion. 10. Prices based on economic costs, anria! control of credits: labur banks- The council urges those to whom the questionnaire is sent to inyeati trntn and study rather than prejudge how. fnr- the existing industrial order jji Christian or un-Chnstian. FRISCO NEEDS GOOD THIRD BASEMAN tar Associated rresfl) SAN r'KANCISCO, Aug. 1!). Fans nr wonderini? who will succeed Willie I Kamm at third base cn the San Fran cisco baseball team next, year wnen Knmm goes up to the Chicago Whin Sox on $70,0(10 deal. Two White Sox players, ivmic mul ligan ami Herb McC'iellnn. are licing mentioned for the post. McClellan K a utility man for the Chicngo team. Mulligan nh" short ;i-d thi-H. SEE OUR WINDOW f'lSSKH m ll What the Shopmen's Strike is All About Off icial , Letters and Resolutions Between President Harding and the Shopcrafts In order that there may be a clear-! cr understanding as to iutA what Drin triples are involved in the shop era flu strike the following official letter resolutions art printed bo that the general public may read and under stand lor themselves: The White House, Washington, O. C, July 31, (1922. B. M. Jewell, President, Hallway Employes De partment, American KeuVrattioiH of 1.41 bor, Chicago, III. I am hereby conveying to you tho terms of agreement upon which the Railway Managers and United Shop Ciait workers are to unite prelimin ary to calling of the existing strike First, Railway Manager and work men aie to agree to recognixe tho val idity of all decisions' of the 'Railroarl Labor Board, and to faithfully carry out such decisions as contemplated by the law. Second, Tho carriers will withdraw ml law suit growing out of the strike, and 'Railroad Labor Board decisions which have been involved In tho strike, mav be taken, in- the exer cise of recognized rights by either par ty, to the Kau road Labor Board tor rehearing. Third, All employes now on strike to be returned to WQrk and to their former positions with seniority and other rights unimpaired- The rep resentatives of the carriers and the, representatives of the organizations especially 'agree that there will be no discrimination by either party against the employes who did not Rime. i think it is fair to say that 1 have changed lha second condition from the oi Urinal form in which it was dis- cum cd with you and your associate. iou win note mat i nave suggest that appeal's for rehearing may be taken "in tho exercise of recognized rights y either party" to the Board for rehearing. This doe not change tho substance, but I thought it only fair to havo tho lit a tern out apply to either side of tho controversy alikd. I hono vou nnci your aaaeciatea will sec fit to express your approval to the terms submitted. Confirmation fol lows by mnil. (signed) WARREN U. 'HARDING. July 31. 1922, My Deac Mr. Cuyler: V nm wrifinrr tn fwnvw ll vnil the tcrjus of agreement, as I understand them, upon which the railway manag ers and united shone raft worker's are acrree, preliminary ttf calling off the cxisUnjr strike. irst Hallway manatrors and work men arc to atrrco to recomuo mt validity of all decisions of tho Railroad, . Labor Board, and to faithfully fa'Ty'fu? out such decisions as contemplated by,... the law. " Second The carriers will withdraw all law suits frrowinfj out of the strike,' . m i n:i i i i a .i;t-;uDrKa which have been Involved in the strike may be taken, Jn the exennao of rfr-' cninixed riirhta by either party, too the Hailroad Labor Board foT Ix-hear- injT. ' ' Third All employes now on strike to be returned to work and to their former positions with seniority and other rights unimpaired. Tho repre sentatives, of the carriers and the rep resentatives of tho organisations es pecially agree that there will bo no disci imination by either party against the empioyes who did or did not strike. In view of tho things said in our (lersonal interview, it is hardly necos- sary for mo to emphasize my belief in the wisdom of the railway Trianag en accepting this coirmromiso in or der to brinir the strike to an end- I havo made a very full appraisal of all the embarrassment involved in mak ing the senniority restoration. It haF ing the seniority restoration. It ha ih(. orrlor nf lhlnr" on the day tht Easy Terms strike' begun be restored, and that employer and workers agree against discrimination toward either those who struck or did not strike, will leave to the managers only the difficult problem of dealing with the new men employed. It would be futile for me to attempt to point the way of most eas ily solving that difficulty. Thavo on ly Attempted to appraise the situation from the larger viewpoint. It stems to me hat auch a. settlement brings, first of all. the restoration to normal operations in transportation for which the country is calling. In the second place, it establishes definitely the full recognition'' of the Hailroad Iabor Board -by all parties concerned. I have not specifically stated it in tho terms of settlement, but, of course, the abandonment of the contract system, in accordance with the decision of th Hoard, is to be expected on the part of a" railroads. It is wholly unthinkable that the Railroad I -a bor Hoard can be made a useful agency ofthe govern ment in maintaining industrial peace in tne railway service, unletts employ era and workers are both prompt and unquestioning in their acceptance of itn decisions. I think it i more de sirable than I know how to express to have established the unchallenged au thority of the Kailroad Iabor Hoard, because we must do those things which aro necessary to bring about the recog nition of tmitablo authority to decide and end such disputes as menace t;he continuity of transportation. iou aro at liberty to present the situation as 1 have outlined it to you, and I hope you will convoy to the mem- berH my deep conviction tnat this dis pute must be brought to an early ter mination. 1 need hardly add that 1 have reason to believe these terms will be accepted by the workers. If there is good reason why the manag ers can not accept, they will be olilt- jpated to open direct negotiation., or assume full responsibility lor the sit uation. 1 Very truly your.s, (signed) WAiRRKN G. UAKbING, Col. T. Hewitt Cuyler, Chairman, Association of Railway Executivea, care, IWhldorf - Astoria Hotel, New York City, N. Y. August 3, VJU. The President, The White House, Washington, D. C. Mt Hear President: The following in f'nnln1ln)onllpll,nv Terms as you like, Getting well goes faster by far with a Brunswick to help pass the tedious hours. And while It amusee it trains tho ear to an appreciation of true tones. Musicians recommend T h e Brunswick to aid In the inimi cal education of children. Brunswick Records are also unique In the artistic beauty of . their Interpretation. A Brunswick, on a Brunswick this Is the height of musical achievement. Brunswick Eastern Oregon Music Co. ! ! : L J :, I . . D.O.K.K. EMB Store wire of the 2nd. Your terms of agreement for sett! ing the present controversies between th railroad managements and employ es, as embodied in your telegram un der date of July ai. 11)22. have been presented to a meeting of tho general cotuerenee committee held in Chiigo, and acted upon as follows: The representatives of the employes leel mams elves under obligation t Bupport every proper effort on the part of the Government to bring about or to preserve tne uninterrupted oik.' ra tion of the transportation industry, The stubborn refusal of the railway executives to establish a Board of Ad justment, as contemplated by law, ii order to settle efficiently disputes over rules and working conditions between the carriers and their employes: the continued refusal of railways, repre senting over a quarter of tho mileage of t lass Une Railroads, to comply with the decisions of tho Railroad La bor Hoard aguinst the practice of con trading out work and shops; the per sistent campaign to deny to the rail way employes just and reasonable wages, to impose upon them unfair! working conditions and to disintegrate their organizations; all in cumulative effect rendered service by a-a.il way employes under the terms and condi tions to bo effective July 1. li)21, in tolerable to over ninety-five ner cent of these employes, who, thereforo, vot-1 ed to suspend work. ! It is now proposed that they return i to work, temporarily accepting wagetl and working conditions which they I reel to bo unjust with reliance uponi the following urogram for redress of grievances. i "Kirst, railway managers and work-l men are to agree to recognize the val idity of alt decisions of the Railroad Labor Hoard, and to faithfully carry out such decisions as contempatcd by the law." The employes have always taken the position that as lonir as they contin ued to render service they should abide by the rules and working conditions and accent the wages agreed upon by proper negotiation, or determined by tho Labor Hoard after a hearing of a dispute upon any of .these matters. They respectfully point nut again that violations of law and refusals ot com ply with decisions of the Labor Hoard, havo been exhibited only by the rail way managements and that it htA been universally admitted that the em ployes, in exercising their right n;npnil work under nnn-nrcentahlo the streets :ire covered with, snow aud ics mid i everybody is clniiiorinir for service, deliveries are impaired. Then, tot), there are other contingencies that have before eurtuiled the Coal supply in. Win- 'IT- Let us deliver yours todny. The Grande Ronde Lumber Co. Exclusive Representative of the National Buildsrs Bureau Official Decorators Fast Color Flags Fast Color Bunting W. A. RICHARDSON & CO. 1116 Jefferson Ave. Official Decorators Fronts Buildings We supply fast eolor decorations for all purposes on a rental basis. We jiut thorn up and take them down and do it cheaper than yu can buy poor material and try it yourself. Let us estimate your work. Our solicitor will call on vou in a day or so. conditions, were neither violating the law nor the decisions of the Board. We understand that the recognition of "the validity of all decisions of the Railroad Labor Hoard, aa contempatcd by the law" means, for example, that in the case of the Pennsylvania Rail road all employes wili return to work" under the wages and working condi tions established in the decisions of the Labor Hoard and that the sole tmestion of "validity" pending ib th'j authority of the Labor Board to de termine as in decision No. 218, the method of selecting accredited repre sentatives of the employes, assuming that tho railroad has appealed from the decision of the United States Cir cuit! Coutt of Appeals, which sus tained tho action of the Labor Board. "Second, the carriers will withdraw all lawsuits growing out of the strike, and Railroad Labor Hoard decisions which have been involved in the stiike may be taken, in the exercise of recognized rights by cither party, to the Railroad Labor Board for re- , hearing." Jt is our understanding that the representatives of the employes, uPtm seeking a rehearing of the controvert ed decisions concerning wages and working conditions, will be afforded a prompt rehearing and decision by the Labor Hoard. We assume also that the practically unanimous action of tho employes in electing to suspend work and in continuing this suspension under ino sanction ot, ana in accord ance with the laws of, their natioaal organizations, has ended any captious questioning as to who aro the proper ly accredited spokesmen of the vast majority of railway employes. Wo do- sire to call attention to the orderly and disciplined conduct of these empoyes under difficult conditions, whitii has demonstrated the indispensable value of their national organization in aid of the effective adjustment of contro versies and the efficient conduct of the industry. "Third, all employes now on strike to be returned to work and to thevr former Positions with seniority and other rights unimpaired. The repre sentatives of the carriers and of tha organisations csoecially agree that there will bo no discrimination hy ei ther party against tho employes who, did or did not strike." We are glad to observe that the b. vious justice of this proposition has been accepted. It would certainly bo a wholesale injustice of unparalleled (Continued on Pago Two) LEMS Streets, Eto.