The record-union., 1894-10-11
COMPULSORY ARBITRATION.
DEATH TO INDUSTRY AND EN-
SLAVEMENT OF LABOR.
Remarks by Carroll d. Wright.
United States Commissioner
of Labor.
Special to the REcoRD-US1oS.

Special to the RECORD-UNIoS.
CHICAGO, Oct. 10.-The feature of the
quarterly dinner of the Union League
Club last night was the speech OF Car
roll ID. Wright, United States Labor
Commissioner, on the subject of arbitra-
ton of disputes between employers and
employees. In substance Mr.. Wright
spoke as follows:
Il must limit myself to compulsory
arbitration as applied to productive in
dustry. The first great question is: Shall
man have a right to do what he will
with his own?' We say now, No, he
may not, if what he wishes to do with it
is likely to injure the property or health
OF his neighbour A man must submit to
the wishes of the community in regard To
his own property.
"a third Limitation is likely to be
added to the answer to-day. The answer
will soon be: No, not if you iniure the
standard of living of your neighbour
How, then, shall the answer be met
when 1t comes SO that industry shall not
be killed by it's consequences?
NO way has yet been devised to pre-
vent strikes. The most that can be done
is to reduce them In mum ber and sever
ity. Arbitration cannot prevent them.
Voluntary arbitration seems a logical
answer.
Il pass to compulsory arbitration. The
advocates Of this say that, first, both
parties to dispute must be compelled to
come into court; and that. second, when
the court issues its decree it must be en-
forced as any other decree would be en-
forced. Let us see how this will work.
4 Is manufacturer who pays his men
on an average of 81 a day. Owing TO
some cause he finds he cannot pay this
any longer and reduces wages to 81 so.
The men oppose this. They say they
cannot live on less than y. The en-
ployer says he cannot pay more. The
matter is taken before a compulsory
court OF arbitration. Suppose the court
says the men must take 81 50. How can
this be enforced? Say there are 500 en-
ployes. Who can make them work {?
The Constable. the Sheriff, the posse COM
itatus, the military forces may be called
out, but none can make them work. The
decree is dead from the beginning.
suppose the court says the employer
must pay the y, but if he really cannot
afford to do SO, what must help him :?
The employer must do one of two things
Either he must adulterate his goods to
make up the difference or he must COM
bine with other employers in d trust to
keep up the prices. The law will have
compelled one of these things.
There is also an economic question to
be considered. If the State says the
employer must pay a fixed price for
work, it has practically fixed no price for
the commodity. The law can fix the
price, but it cannot compel the consumer
TO buy at that price. The next logical
step is to make it a penal offense 10 buy
at that price. Then why not let the law
fix the price of everything directly? 1t
would be cheaper TO do this directly than
through the cumbersome machinery pf
compulsory arbitration. The laborer has
little freedom OF contract now. He must
submit to the ruling prices. But COM
pulsory arbitration will destroy what lit
tie he has left. 1t will establish the prices
at which he can sell the only commodity
he pOssesses-that is, his labor. He must
accept 81 50 or not work at all if the court
tells him to do 50, even if the cost of liv-
ing is S2. On whatever side we look at it,
compulsory arbitration means the death
ofindustry and the enslavement of labor.
There may be some modification of
the general principle developed in the
future, but do not know it now. There
should be protest by the community
against II. Few labor organizations in
dorse it. a few scholars and thinke
are almost the only ones who really in
dorse it. TO adopt it would be to go back
to the ages from which we have been di-
vorced. 1t would be going back to a
worse barbarism than we ever had on
this continent. There would be no life,
no survival of industry under it,"