has been responsible for a large part of our industrial conflicts. Although management must recognize the attitudes and practices of labor; labor, in turn, must realize the effect of feather-bedding upon American capitalism. Feather-bedding creates a precarious situation in that it is difficult for an outsider to determine what constitutes a feather-bedding device. The courts have usually refused to determine the number of employees needed to perform a given task and what constitutes useful or needed work. Labor and management, together, must eliminate feather-bedding from industry. The foreseeable railroad strike will be a prime motivating force in deciding the future of feather-bedding in America. Management has taken the defensive position that it cannot afford to let labor gain a better economic way of life, through wage increases shorter hours, and more pronounced fringe benefit programs, which better the American whole. Last year, the profits of business increased 17.6 per-cent, in comparison to a 3.5 percent wage increase over the same period of time. With every gain labor makes, management make a bigger and better gain, under the disguise that the labor movement is hampering the forces and methods of business. The period ahead is a critical one, with difficult problems to be solved. Both management and labor must take advance positions in the solutions of their problems. Some possible solutions are: 1. Management must recognize the right of labor to seek to protect its economic gains. 2. Labor must recognize the competitive market pressures on business. 3. Labor must recognize that national prosperity and the well being of the workers depend upon a free and prosperous economy. Interference with that freedom is inimical to the interest of labor itself. 4. Management and labor must mutually recognize the vital importance of facing issues squarely, analyzing problems honestly and reaching equitable solutions. An amicable management-labor picture is not a secondary matter to be dealt with in spare time. It is a central challenge. Nothing less than life or death of our free economy is at stake. 18 BROKEN FENCE "Sug," Amanda howled, "you gotta' fix that fence. Zeke's cows are back and they've near et my garden. Run 'em out quick and don't let the sun set 'fore you mend that fence." Sug Babcock put down his razor and sauntered to the door. "No use gettin' riled up, Mandy. I'll call the dog and he'll fecth 'em home." He gave a shrill whistle before Amanda could stop him and in a few minutes, Zeke Huggin's beautiful Shepherd dog appeared. With much throaty baying, he soon sent the big Derim cattle down the trail at a full gallop. The dog seemed to enj oy his task as he shuttled back and forth behind the lumbering animals, barking and nipping, at their heels. Sug watched them go out of sight, then turned back into the kitchen where Amanda was still seathing with rage. He remarked: "Mandy, that dog sure is smart. I don't even need to tell him 'siccum' no more." He chuckled and smiled at Amanda. "Zeke swore he'd kill ye' effen 'ya didn't quit learnin' that dog to run his stock," Amand raved "And he weren't teasin' with ya' neither, You make me mad and scaired too." Sug's face' sobered, and he looked at Amanda, hurt that she would be mad with him over anything. And 19