Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-01-29


~ ~ surface strese railways in New
- ~ Brooklyn ere stopped by res
80 reached b the drivers and con-
oooD ~ . take out their cars. Tho
- g the strike is the refusal Of the
1DonlU 70 recognize their working
~ oegauizstion. They have taken,
y osrosment Of the presidents Of the
01opus companies the fsvorite position,
4 eerporatlons Independence of organ.
~ hbof. They refuse to mest the
oDsutise committee Of the organization,
4 p1l)o.p o.proeeosing their readiness to hearken
jlo ~ complaints Of their employers,
<lEgusAt 10 them BY individual em.
s&agO they do not like committees and
/ ~. wholly hostile to executive COM
knioeees Of organizations Of which
(Adr employers are only . part.
y = o natural position for employers to
1nke - it certainly 10 easier for them to
Soonkrol their workman when they deal
WITH thsm seperately than when they are
ooosolidated. Consolidation gives power
- evsry one knows who has read or heard
4 ~ fable Of the bundle Of sticks. The
S1ailrcad presidents continued together to
DoeuDe 70 confer with their labor organiza
B eioaS md the result Il stoppage Of the
Sollsoad business. The two interests have
I. lbeksd horns and the poor public are
I ground between the upper and neither
nlllDtone.
And both sides, cheekily enough, ask for
rubhc sympathy and support. Certainly
hath are not entitled to It and clearly
= this case 1t is the corporations that are
!. "a fault. They have no right to refuse
- recognize the labor union, when that
punion has the power TO stop their busi-
neos - public carriers. II they were
!. carrying on business in which the ques--
1ion Of the public accommodation did not
enteT, they could do as they pleased
Hbout recognizing labor organization. II
eAsy did not like 1t, and preferred to have
{ their business stop, or to run 1t against
che organization, they could follow their
fancy. But this they cannot do when
They are serving the public and their re-
fusal to confer with their organ
a1ed labor stops their service. 1t is
sheir duty to exhaust all the means in
& oAeir power to continue their service !;
y md the Hrst thing that they need TO do is
- - whether they cannot reach an &C.
oommodation with their employees. No
gta6neckedness in the matter can be per-
4 1itted them. No police help can be
Justly demanded BY them until they have
exhausted their own opportunities Of
puuuing their business.
In this case, the executive committee
4 ct the labor organization, after being
refused conference by the railroad presi-
Il dents, secured the services of the state
N board OF mediation and arbitration, an
anstitution established by the state of New
4 York that appears to be quite rs useless
- the like means 81 arbitration provided
~ the state Of Pennsylvania. These
xailroAd presidents replied that they
4 would not confer with the executive COM
\ 1ittee OF the labor organizations. And
II DOR the latter there was nothing left
but to show their power; which they
h ave done by refusing to take out
eAe cars. New York and Brooklyn are
4 oarless. Their citizens suffer. We be-
t = No. 900 eav fault is that of the com.
sn1es and not OF their men, whose COM
plants may have proved to be unjust IL
they had had an opportunity to make
them; but they did not have this oppor-
tunity; and the denial Of the opportu.
nifty was Q wrong against them and
against the public.
4anifestly there is law needed which
viii require public servants to meet their
employees in conference and arbitrate
Iheir differences with them. Our high
ways are closed quite too often by the
disagreement OF employer and employed;
md there clearly isneed of a legal suasion
TO compel them to agreement; certainly
10 consultation.