The Washington times., 1894-12-17
plea for Arbitration.

EDIT JR TIMES: In last Thursdays paper
see it stated that Chairman McGann. of the
House Committee on Labor; Commissioner
Wright Repres entative Springer, and Repre-
sentative Erdman were about to confer upon
the pending arbitration bill. From this your
readers might iRier that there was but one
arbitration Bin pending and that the one in
troduced by Congressman Springer. II should
not he forgotten that v hie the Labor Com
mittee accepted Mr.. Springer's bill in prefer
ence to other arbitration measures that came
before it for consideration. Mr. 1awney, of
Minnesota, has introduced. a b!li for the same
purpose; namely, to provide for the aroitrii-
ton OF difficulties between employer and en-
p!oyed.
he Springer bill is Objectionable in that it
provides for permanent board 20 be ar
pointed BY the President with salary of
$1,000 a year, aud liberal alio rance for Of
flee anI iravciing expenses. 1t seems to lie
an iney.table feature OF ali legis alton with
regard 10 labor, that it creates Offices with
good iat sa aries for persons who InnOt Gy
any possibility belong 10 or have class SYM
Eathy with the waSe-earne-. Any working
mal struggling 10 get a small increase on his
dollar Il day ttEe average wages OF labor in
the United States Is less than 81. .25 a dayy
would naturally look with suspicion on the
sympaIhles and proc.lyitiss oi men with SUI
ticicnJ political influence TO secure the Presi-
a
tion. True tie 10 II Gay with travelling ex-
pen es AMI - a day Tor board are bat a nom
lnal price 10 pay Tor such rara avis as
man would be who was fully competent 10 sit
as Jud IN al the possible controversies that
might occur between employer and employed,
but the workIngmen would hardly be likely TO
fe satisfied with the decision OF such persons,
il it went against Them, while the saallness OF
the board aud tleir political prominence
would make them peculiarly eligible TO iufiu-
ences bIasing them On HE side of capital
Furthermore, tie political influence of some
OF the great corporations Is sach that an ad-
verse decision would mean the possible over
throw Of the party whose President al ap-
pointees rendered il. and such catastrophe
Presidential appointces are apt to avoid.
Mr.. Tawney till avoids many of these OBJ
iectionabie features, and certainly should be
he, / IN mind by laUor organizations and 9TH
ers who are especially anxious that some arbi-
tration bill should be passed during this ses-
sion This bill WAS referred to the Judiciary
Committee. but has not been considered by
the Committee on Labor. Mr.. Tawney Is now
at work on u re-draft OF his bill, and il viii be
re-introduced this week.
l trust that the powerful influence
Of TIE TINES VII be directed to
securing law that shall provide
for a jury for each particular case. Sc
cured in an impartial manner. One-third of
its members from the pluntitf one-third from
the defendant, and tie remaining third from
dlsinereSted citizens selected by the plaintiff
and defendant in the sane manner as jurors
are selected in ordinary jury cases.
II Is claimed 10y some that no decision OF
court OF arbitration can be in its essence COM
pulsory. and this may be so if one is disposed
to quiDble about words. No employer can Ue'
compelled hy law 10 employ. but the eXigen-
c.es of bis business compel him to employ
and the workman is in the very nature of
things compelled 10 work. 1t is only for
society and governments to see that
these relations are maintained with
out injury TO either or to the safety
and welfare of the public, and to
protect labor from the domination of capital
which, until it becomes cooperative is in
evitably despntic and selfish. All corpora
tiGns and companies in whose operations the
public interests are involved. il refusing to
accept the decisions OF arbitration and to con-
duct their business under its instruction,
should be held 10 escaeal to the government
the right to control tie business. But il will
easl ly be seen that arbitt alton. where the
rights OF both parties were fully protected.
would have the selfish interests OF both classes
to support it. the moral weight of the SYM
pathy of society and the judicial power OF the
government. SO overwhe mingly would be
the motives to induce parties 10 accept the
decision that they would be compelled to ac-
cept ii and arbitration would be practically
compulsory. CLARA BEwICK Colby.