Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-04-26

IAxoAsrER. APRIL 20. lsss.
The Arbitration Needed.

H prosident recommends to Congress
6 ookablishment Of national board OF
1lnUo members to whom shall be confided
~ arbitration of differences between en-
t1Qysr and employed but he does not pro-
- that the decisions of the board shall
{ ~ o6Isctive unless they are voluntarily re-
1cccted. We fear that such arbitration will
~ always or even generally accomplish
~ object Of settling the disputes, al
though the institution of such a board
would serve good purpose in direct
ing the force Of public opinion toward
! ~ side in whose favor the decision
= given, II it is rightly rendered, as it may
~ oxpected to be In most cases. The force
e public opinion is what is now our re-
llnnce in keeping peaceful relations between
elnployer and employed, and we see that it
knot a. operative as it should be. The in
vsstigation Of complaints by national Off
ciAls would be great aid to the formation
cf b correct and strong public opinion, and
would therefore be very wise thing to
institute.
But what are our courts of law but ar.
bitration courts, with obedience to the re.
sults Of the arbitration compelled? And is
not the compulsory feature needed and
proper one il the decisions made are just
And would not the national board of arbi.
tration between employer and employed be
more useful If obedience to the decisions
were required? If, in fact, it was a
court Of law, taking cognizance Of
this special class of disputes between
employer and employed, arbitrating them
and enforcing its decisions as courts o'
law do, would it not meet the requirement!
Of the situationp Our courts, as we nov
have them organized, are not empowered
to consider all the questions which such {
board would need to settle. Although
probably they have cognizance of mos
of them, since they generally arise out o
4 violations of contract, as these Western
troubles are said to have done.
But the action of our courts is not suf
ficiently prompt, nor easily reached ; thei
decisions are too long delayed Il
be Of any manner of use in arbitratini
between capital and labor. When de
cision Of the United States supreme cour
cannot be had in less than five years
there Is an absolute denial of justice
where action needs to be prompt tc
be effective. The national legislature
should seek to right this patent wrong in
the administration Of justice and to SC
organize Its machinery as to secure thu
hnal settlement of all cases in courts O.
law within the shortest possible time
But the differences between employer anC
employed form so distinct class Of dis
putes, and one that the country's interest
require to be 80 promptly settled, that i
would seem to be wise to establish specia
arbitration courts, with single appeal to
central arbitration court, to effect theil
speedy and satisfactory determination ant
wherefore these decisions should not b
made compulsory upon the parties, as ar,
n the decisions Of the ordinary courts of law
I Ne confess we do not see; and it certainl,
: seems that they need to be so made to Sc
cure that respect and obedience to then
which would justify their creation ant
3 serve their purpose.