The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-26
COMPULSORY ARBITRATION IN
PRACTICABLE

Congressman Springer ahas introduced
into congress . bill providing for 3 ns-
tiond board OF arbitration 70 settle con5
troversies between employer and EN-
ployss. The whole thingts fmpTacticable.
SodecisIon Of board 81 arbitration can
maks an employer PAY more wages thaIt
he can afford TO pay or make q workman
! take less than the market rate for bis
labor. No man can be forced TO arbitra~
tion and be condemned to give ~, shat he
does not owe and desires to keep.
To- illustrate, civil 9eourtso decide qusss
tons arising out Of breach Of contract,
direct the page ~ pecuniagy dafhages Or
specific performance and are enforced By
the sheriff II contract for employment
i broken the judgment for damages 10
generally enforceable against en- en-
pioyer, bat while7the remedy Of the ern-
ployer against the workman is theoreti-
caily psrfect under the lasx it Is practically
useless. and suit by an employer of labor
against arlaborer for breach Of his contract
70 work is epnhsard OF The Judgment of
aScourt OF justice is not effective against
workman. and labor unionss while they re-
pudiass all suggestions for making il
effective. now begin to cry for arbitTa-
tom What they mean arbitration i
legislation thato shall com pei employers 70
pay better wages than they are willing to
pay They wish, when ano employer re-
fuses 20 grant the terms desired by his
workmen. to hare some thira party called
In owho shall ielf othe employer that he
must grant these terms and who shall be
able TO ensarce his decree by the AIMED
power of the state But they reject all
proposals for empowering the arbitsator
to call in this pewer. against the wofknen.
This "jug handledt9 drihd of arbitration
Is. off course. fmpracticsbleC and can
never DO conceded. ,Noy.compuisory ar
bitration" can be effective in its interfsr-
snce which cannot cbe made elective
upon both parties.
No power eau ocompel en- employer TO
pay wages ifheo has no money, and If
men are competed to work BY force their
labor, which Is of the nature of slave
iabor, will not be very productive
Compulsory arbitration 10 be effective
would have TO make its Judgments en-
forceablc upon employers and employees
alike. Counts enforce contracts whfrh the
parties have made voluntarily. but CONF
pulsory arbitration makes a contract for
both sides and then undertakes 70 enforce
II. which would be impossible.
Arbitration owouid not enable the Pull
man Car Company 10 build cars at q loss.
The ciyilolaw undertakes to enforce con-
tracts into which parties enter voluntarily,
and any scheme oofssrbftration must pre-
coed upon these lines and harmon3ze with
the theory that the good order of society
depends upon the fuldlment of engage
ments. Tnulabor disputes ne means exists
to enforce contracts made with laboring
men. A contracs can always be enforced
with the employer, but seldom with the
employe.
The New York Fleming Post recites these
familiar facts and says:
"If the labor organizations will make
themselves responsible in damages for the
vi0lation of labor contracts in the same
Cway that theaemployers ara responsible for
any violation of contracts that they may
~enteEinto. long step Will have been taken
toward the settlement of labor disputes,
and the demand for anyother kind of COM
) Tsdlsory arbitration wall probably cease
altogether"