Part: 123456789         Session: 1         Page na123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220221222223224225226227228229230231232233234235236237238239240241242243244245246247248249250251252253254255256257258259260261262263264265266267268269270271272273274275276277278279280281282283284285286287288289290291292293294295296297298299300301302303304305306307308309310311312313314315316317318319320321322323324325326327328329330331332333334335336337338339340341342343344345346347348349350351352353354355356357358359360361362363364365366367368369370371372373374375376377378379380381382383384385386387388389390391392393394395396397398399400401402403404405406407408409410411412413414415416417418419420421422423424425426427428429430431432433434435436437438439440441442443444445446447448449450451452453454455456457458459460461462463464465466467468469470471472473474475476477478479480481482483484485486487488489490491492493494495496497498499500501502503504505506507508509510511512513514515516517518519520521522523524525526527528529530531532533534535536537538539540541542543544545546547548549550551552553554555556557558559560561562563564565566567568569570571572573574575576577578 of 578

that had brought on these strikes.

I had to think of some device to try and hold it off. I thought of sending a commission to England to study the English labor situation, the English provisions for the control and prevention of strikes and for the doing of substantial justice in lieu of a strike, and so forth. It was not that we didn't know the answers already in the Department of Labor, but the world didn't know it and it wouldn't be effective for us to put it out. The American people and the American Congress in particular are always willing to study anything. That holds them. You hold them until you get your breath, until the problem subsides, the fuss blows over, or until you yourself, or somebody else, can think of something constructive to do.

So I proposed to the President that we send a commission to England. He said, “That's a good idea. I agree, but didn't somebody tell me that they have a good system in Sweden too?”

I said, “Yes, we could throw in Sweden for good measure if you want to. Theirs is very different. They have almost compulsory arbitration. It isn't quite compulsory but it's very nearly that. It's good, but they have a Socialist government in Sweden. The working class are in control of the government and it's not exactly what our more