, 1886-05-19
Congressional.

Wv l''oioi phi "a PiuNeb ptioi TIT Stl
ate, but was temporarily laid aside t
permit Mr.. Coke to address the senate OIL
the house labor arbitration bill. NJ COX
did not favor the establishment Of a per
manent board of commissioners, such al
had been recommended by the president
message. Such board, he believed, woult
inevitably become a tribunal favorable t.
corporations, however little might be
intended 1t should so become. The plar
of voluntary arbitration provided by the
house bill, he contended, was much better.
en- in each case by the parties Immediately
interested. and would be chosen because
of special knowledge of the subject in
vowed in dispute. The commissioners
being voluntarily chosen by the parties
concerned, their decision would he more
acceptable to parties involved than that Of
airy permanent board. AS to the rcspon-
sibility of railway companies for operating
their roads, Coke said they should be
compelled to keep their roads in opera
ton, strike or no strike; and, on the
other hand, any one who interfered with
that operation should be treated with the
utmost severity. Public interest was the
first consideration. Mr.. Coke recognized
the absolute necessity of restraining rail-
roads. No one, he said, could read the
history of railroad development without
feeling a profound Indignation and dis
gust that a system which, like that of
railroads, had become so indispensable a
necessity to civilization, should be an in
strumentality in the hands of a few in
dividuals for a systematic robbery of the
people. 1t was TO pay dividends on
watered stock that wages on railroads
were squeezed down. The evil would
never correct itself. State governments
and the United States government, while
uniting to protect railroad property as
they should protect railroad property and
the interests of the public from assault
or damage, should also unite to crush out
the practice which led to l. tor difficulties
that had become so serious a feature of
the railroad problem.
Mr.. Logan, without committing himself
TO the support or otherwise Of the house
bill, would, at the proper time, submit a
substitute for it. The house bill provided
for arbitration, but when, after trouble
had arisen and after arbitration should be
appealed to. and a decision rendered, there
was no means OF putting the decision into
effect. He would propose that a commits
sion, to be called the commission on arbi-
%tration, should be selected by the presi-
dent; that men should be selected, part of
them for their Knowledge of law, and part
for their knowledge of the laboring inter
ests Of the country, and from among those
interests; the commissioners to be five in
number, and to have power to examine
witnesses, etc. He would provide that
when a decision is made it should be filed
in the United States district court and
placed on record there, and become a de-
cree of the court, which would secure a
method OF information for decision. Under
the house bill that could not be done. He
would also make it the duty of the com
missioners to examine all questions OF con-
troversy arising between corporations and
their employees, and make a report to
congress. He would erect the bureau of
labor into a department of labor, and re
quire the commissioner of labor to com
municate with all corporations to ascer-
tain particulars as to the number, charac-
ter and eompen sation of employees, prices
of food, rent, etc, and to submit compar-
tive statements, so far as practicable. Of
similar particulars relating to labor in Eu-
rope, etc.
The pension bill was then laid before
the senate. The senate went into execu-
tive session, and when the doors reopened
adjourned.
In the telephone investigation to day
Mr.. Van Bonthuysen asked to have wit
nesses examined for the purpose of i'm
peaching former testimony, but the re-
quest was denied.
The senate committee on pensions
voted to-day to POSTPONE indefinitely the
house Mexican pension bill. and to report
as a substitute substantially the Mexican
pension bill passed by the senate last ses.
sion. The committee is opposed to SER
vice pension, and insists upon making de-
pendence and disability the necessary
qualifications OF a pensioner.