The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-01-23
TO SETTLE STRIKES.
Attorney General OIney Prepares Il
SWecninS Measure.

|
Gen Olney and introduced today by
| chairman Mccain, of the house committee
on labor. He intended it as a substitute
| Tor the one framed by Labor Commissioner
oarfoil d. Wright, as a result of the labors
| OF the Chicago strike commission. In sew
eral points the bill is more far-reaching In
IT'S propositions than any that has been
Drought forward. The terms railroad
ana employe defined in the bill and
the latter class includes those working on
cars operated by the carrier under lease
making the carrier responsible for their
acts as though they We're employed directly
by hl.n The wages paid to employees, it is
stipulated, snail be reasonable and just. In
case OF wage controversies the chairman of
.ne interstate commerce commission and
the chairman of the labor commission
70 communicate with the parties and en-
deaNor to effect amicable settlement. If
THIS mediation fails the controversy may be
submitted to a
BOARD OF ARBITRATION
Vi "n!ch the chairman Of the interstate
commerce commission shall be chairman
ana which shall consist also of one COM
missioner chosen by the employees and one
py the labor organization to which the en-
ployeS directly interested belong; or if they
belong to more than one to that one which
| especially represents employees of the same
grade ana class and engaged in service of
'hc same nature as the employees in the
| controversy. Where two or more classes
tons shall agree upon their Representatives
| Other fea lures are:
Inc parties shall stpulate in writing that
| pending the arbitra ton the existing stains
! shall not be changed
Ihat the award shall be final unless set
aside for error of law apparent on the
record
That the parties shall faithfully execute
IT, ana 1t may be enforced in equity SO far
as the powers Of a court Of equity permit.
| Employees dissatisfied with the award
| shall not quit work without three months
notice in writing
Inc award shall be continued in force
| Tor TWO years, and during that period no
! new arbitration between the same parties
on the same subject shall be had. After
ming the award with the clerk of the
| United States circuit court of the district
| In which the difficulty occurs 80 DAVIS shall
| be allowed for
| FILING EXCEPTIONS
in matters of law, after which it shall go
INTO effect If no exceptions are taken. If
| they are taken it goes into force 10 DAYS
alter their decision. If an agreement of
! arbitration shall be entered into hy the en-
| ployes individually instead of oreaniza-
tons, the board shall not be created unless
| the chairman is satisfied they represent
| their associates
! During that time it would be unlawful
| for organizations employees 10 order
| aid or abet a strike or boycott or to lea We
| their employment without giving SO days
! notice in writing, nor they be dis
| charged without 50 DAVIS notice excent
| for ca uses mentioned. Niolatio1s of this
| provision are made a msdemoanor punish
| able by $1,000 fine or one years imprison-
| ment Membership in Incorporated labor
| Organiza tons. it is provided shall re ter
| minated by indulgence in lawlessness
Violence destruction of property intimida-
| ton or threats by members during strikes,
| but they are not to be held inli yiduailv
| liable for debts of the ORGANIZATION. The
| of dc
appointed by federal courts shall have The
| right TO he heard Though the officers Of
| their organizations or their representatives
| III tie federal courts en- GlIcSlions affecting
| the terms of their employmant F'mplovcrs
who make it a condition of cmp1yment
that men shall not be members Of any
| LABOR ORGANIZE TION
| or discharge or threaten to discharge men
for such membership, or discriminate
against them because of it, or enter into
contracts compelling the men to contrib
ute to any fund for charitable social or
| beneficial objects, or, after discharging
men, conspire to prevent them from OBJ
tanning employment. shall be guilty Of
misdemeanor punishable by a fine Of
| from 500 TO $1,000. If disputes threatening
to injuriously affect the interests of the
| people of any section are not submitted to
arbitra ton, the attorney general the bill
| provides. shall be authorized to annlv to
| the district court for receivers for the rail
| road to take possession of the property
| and run it in the interest of the owners
| but may make the employers or employees
! or any persons and organZa tions aiding or
| abetting them parties to the suit
| Mr.. Olney accompanied the bill sent to
Mr.. Mccain, at the latter's request, with
statement OF his views on the several
! provisions of the original bill and his rea-
| sons for such new matter as had been in
| corporated in it. The attorney generals
| every one save himself any responsibility
for the views contained in his letter. His
| ft,ct o1Nin fsf,p tS to xr-,,.,
! Pullman clause, which is too obviously
aimed at Mr.. Pullman to be otherwise
manufacturer of cars The vital objection
| to the clause is that a manufacturer of
cars is not engaged N interstate commerce
| and does not become so engaged whether
| he makes sells cars to carrier and
any attempt to bring him within the act
| must prove abortive and tend to discredit
the act generally. On the other hand Mr..
Olney is of the opinion that every person
engaged in operating a car used in inter
| state commerce ought to come within the
1t is the attorney generals judgment that
| the permanent standing commission pro-
| vided for by the bill for all cases is not
only not needed, but would be of less value
| than special commission provided for
each case as it may arise. as It is not be-
lieved that controversies are likely to
cur SO Otter or or, to be so serious az to re-
and costly machinery provided for by the
bill. Once such commission established
NEVER BE GOT RID OF
| The objection that this commission might
be needed for the purpose set forth in sec
ton > that the conditions of employment
| subject to the act may be investigated and
aScertained, Mr. Olney meets with the sug-
geStOn that the interstate commerce com
mission as at present constituted might
with equal satisfaction obtain all the in
| forma ton called for and. acting with the
commissioner of labor, it might properly
| be charged by special act of congress
| with the duties of mediat ton and cOncil-
iation, for section of the bill that arbi-
tration should be resorted to for the set
| Element of controversies between employ
ers and their employees Mr. Olney says:
Need not be discussed. The only alter
native is industrial wars, as they are as
| illogical as brutal, and as wasteful as the
wars by which internati onal disputes are
| often accompanied
| Assuming arbitration to be both desira
bic and useful, Mr.. Olney contends that
| it's tribunal should be a special body or
| ganized on fixed principles with reference
| to each part in each it arises IA Their
than a permanent body with general juris-
diction over all cases. The machinery of
arbitration he thinks, should not be Put
in motion at the instance of one or more
isola ted individuals, but only at the in
stance of a class, that is, of whole body
of employees performing the same business
and of the same grade. in order that all
may be represented in the proceedings and
all be bound by their results.
The effect to be given to the enforce
ment of it Mr.. Olney regards as matter
of very great consequence. In the first
place the arbitration tribunal is not Judi
cial in character, but administrative
does not pass upon rights but rules of
business eXpedients especially. The courts