THE WAR PERIOD—AN INTERREGNUM 43

Labor Board. The first two agencies were primarily concerned
 with policies of control and administration. The
function of the latter was fundamentally judicial. It had
to do with the interpretation and application of the principles
 and standards which had been officially adopted as
a guide to the adjustment of wages and conditions. The
principles, which were mandatory upon the War Labor
Board in making decisions, were originally agreed to by
labor as represented by the American Federation of Labor,
and by capital acting through the National Industrial Conference
 Board. Afterwards, these principles were officially
proclaimed by President Wilson on April 8, 1918, and thus
made binding upon all government departments and procurement
 agencies for the duration of the war.
The general course of procedure which capital and labor
voluntarily agreed to follow, and which, in principle, was
adhered to throughout the war period, briefly stated, was
to maintain the pre-war status as to industrial relations.
If an industrial plant had been unionized before the war
it was by agreement to remain unionized during the war;
but if a plant had not been unionized before the war, it
was stipulated that advantage should not be taken of the
wartime emergency to force its management into a recognition
 of the union. On the other hand, all industrial
workers, irrespective of pre-war conditions, were guaranteed
 the right of organization and collective bargaining.
Employers also agreed to refrain from any discrimination
against employees because of affiliation with labor organizations.


Cost-oF-LiviNg METHOD OF WAGE ADJUSTMENT
ADOPTED

Regarding wage-rates, it was likewise agreed that prewar
 standards of real wages were to be maintained. Funda-