The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1885-04-16

king of the testimony, and tha
, they took the testimony in full
so as to enable all parties It
J judge for Themselves as TO VIII
| was and who was not TO blam
in connection With the origina
. strike and its subsequent results
) After thus prefacing the commit
tee say:
"A c,reful inspection of tn
testimony will convince heread
er that there is a radical conflic
in the same, touching every ma
terial issue between emplove
and employee. and that is th'
old issue between labor and cap
ital. which is old indeed, ant
which is to-day Of considerable
, Importance, and should be me
by calm and dispassionate .udg
ment of all parties. AS a gener-
al proposition it may be stated
that legislation instituted from
the standpoint of either of the
contending parties, and regard
less of the rights. of the othe'
would iot he advisable
To the inquiry made of nearly
every witness as to what legisla
ton, if anv. is required, and such
as would tend to prevent future
strikes, it would seem that but
little is required or even suggest
ed. 1t is contended that a law
providing for the arbitration Of
disputes between employers and
employees, would create a healty
public sentiment, and promote
the settlement of such controver-
sizes in the future. To this it may
be proper to answer that a law
intended to meet this demand
has already been passed by this
General Assembly, and is now in
force.
lis hoped that it will ba Civ
EN- a fair trial by those who may
be compelled to resort to its pro-
visions. Again it is contended
by many miners that the aboli-
tion of the truck system, the
business of establishing compa-
ny stores and paying the miners
| for their services from these
stores by issueing checks and or
ders for goods instead of pay
| ment in cash, it would promote
the interest of the miners, re-
move a frightful source of COM
plant and largely prevent future
strikes. Such a bill has been
pending in this General Assem-
bly, for some time, and since this
investigation began it has become
a law, receiving in both branch
es of the Legislature decided ma
jorities. 1t is now law, gone
forth to accomplish its purposes,
and it is hoped it will meet with
the good results claimed for it.
Some testimony has been Civ
en- rs to what is known as the
Iron clad Contract" a contract
which the operators required
their miners to sign before Civ:
ing them employment. 1t is
true that this contract was not
in existence until after the COM
mencement of the strike, and
NAV not be properly classed as
one of the original causes of it
but it has been given in evidence
by the miners that it was one of
the causes of It's continuance, and
although the original cause may
have been disconnected with this
contact, we feel satisfied that it
is one of the reasons why the
strike continued or existed at
later period. We are OF the opin-
ion that it is neither wise nor
proper for incorporated compa-
nies in this state to require their
employees to enter into such CON
tracts, or any contracts contain
ing stipulations other than such
as relate, legitimately, to the
subject about which the parties
are contracting. This contract
in question contains conditions
which are not in an ordinary
contract for work and labor.
The existence and continuance
of such contracts will, in our
judgment, be-, and become con-
slant source of irritation and pro-
ductive cf trouble hereafter, and
we think that if possible they
ought 10 be prohibited. While
this is true the coal operators
should be left to manage their
property and interests according
to their best Judgment, with the
right to employ laborers at such
prices as men are ready and will
ing to work for, without interfer-
ence, delay. hindrance or violent
means on the part of those refu
sing to labor at the prices that
others are willing to work for.
The laws of Ohio guarantee
full and adequate protection to
the owners of capital employed
in such industries, and such laws,
if fairly and strictly enforced,
would, in the opinion Of the COM
mittee fully protect the mine
owners against all violent and
unwarranted interference with
their property and rights.
Some teftimony has been Civ
Ell tending to show that the con-
solidaGon of incorporated com
panies creates a monopoly inju-
rious to labor; on the other hand
it was testified to by the opera
tors that in such cons ,lidation
they were enabled to reduce
their clerical force, fill larger
contracts. reduce the cost of pro-
duction. and thereby benefit
both producer and consumer. AS
to this question at issue, and as
to whether legislation is required
in this regard, We prefer to sub
nit the matter to the wisdom and |
action of this and future Lcgisla
ture.
The foregoing subjects for leg
islative action are substantially |
all that have been demanded by
the miners and those represent
ing their interests who have come