St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-23
THOSE LABOR RESOLUTIONS

The platform of principles laid down
by the labor organizations of this city,
and to which the candidates for all
municipal offices are asked to subscribe,
will bear some Investigation and dis
cuSsion. In what we shall have to say
in relation to these resolutions the
GLOBE speaks only for itself, and not
for any party or candidate; therefore
we shall discuss them from strictly i'm
partial and independent standpoint.
There are four resolutions embodied i'll
the platform-the first declaring for a
rigid enforcement of the eight-hour sys-
tenn: the second for an amendment to
the city charter requiring all work to
be done by the day instead of letting
by contract; the third favoring sys-
tenn of making all appointments solely
on merit, and the engaging of all city
employees on the same basis; and the
fourth demanding the purchase of the
street railway, and for operating it
under municipal authority.
There can be no objection to the first
and third resolutions. Eight hours
day is long enough for labor in any
Industrial department, whether it be in
public or private service. Nor will any
one gainsay the fact that all appoint
ments in the public service should be
made solely on merit. That is the kind
of civil service reform that should be
applied to all government, whetherit be
national, state or municipal.
nj yyba,, wa oOna +o ipuactI0ota tho
second and fourth resolutions, we are
not so sure that they embOdy correct
principles. AS to the second resolution,
we confess to be somewhat at sea, be-
cause we do not know which is the best
systemic have the public improve
ments done by contract, or have them
done by the day. 1t is conceded that
the contract system has Its faults and
abuses, yet il is not sure but that the
other system would be still more faulty
and subject to still grosser abuses. So
far as the public is concerned, they
are interested in getting the best
service at not the least expense, but
at a proper expense. If the working
men have the data to demonstrate that
their plan will give the city the best
service at a reasonable expense, the
GLOBE is not only open to conviction,
but will extend to them the opportunity
to show the fact Until. however, they
present the arguments and statistics to
demonstrate the correctness of their
position, they have no right to ask the
city to abandon system that is doing
fairly we'll and giving satisfaction and
to substitute for it an untried expert
ment.
AS to the fourth resolution, declaring
In favor of the purchase of the street
railway system by the city, we find
number of insuperable objections. In
the first place, ther" ie ID provision in
the street railwa' franc Use by W ich
that corporation can b. compelle to
sell to the city. # tie city should I'M
dertake to negot...o purchase, the
probabilities are that the street railway
company would ask most eXorbitant
price. If the terms of sale were agreed
upon. and the city were willing to make
the purchase, another difficulty would
present itself In the city's inability to
raise the amount of money necessary to
complete the purchase. The price would
run away up into the mllllOns-so that
with the debt on hand and the improve
mentS that are imperative, it would be a
burthensome task for the city to assume
this additional expense. And then
again, if the city were willing and able
to make the purchase, it would be bad
policy to do so. There is no more rea-
son why the city should engage in the
street railway business than it should
embark in the business of publishing a
newspaper, or in any other business en-
terprise. 1t would simply result in
placing the management of the street
railway business under control of po-
litical rings, and would, in the end,
prove to be hot-bed of corruption.
1t would be infinitely better for the
working classes of the city to take the
amount of money necessary to buy the
street railway and invest it III manu-
featuring industries, where it would be
useful in creating wealth instead of alb
sorbing it, and where it would increase
the opportunities for giving employ
ment to those who labor. We think
that, upon careful reflection. our friends
the working people will revise their
resolutions and stand for something that
is practicable and that will be bene fetal
to the labor interests. 1t is possible
that they may get the signatures of a II
the candidates to their resolutions, and
just as probable that the subscribers
will never give them second thought;
yet that is not the way to get at reforms.
The way to do is to agree upon what is
just and reasonable and practicable, and
then stay there until the reform is ac-
complished.
Ir Has haan the imnrassinn that the