Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-02-04
At Last Agreed Upon by the House
Committee,
LABOR LEADERS APPROVE IT,
Hon. Carroll D. Wright, Labor
Commissioner; p. NJ. Arthur,
Frank p. Sargent, F. NJ. Arnold,
and Other Influential Men, En-
dorse the Measure, and Give
Their Reasons-The Law a
Long Step in Advance Of Ex-
listing Conditions.

The amended laoOr arOltraNOn Oil,
agreed on by the House Committee on
Labor, after conferences with represen.
tatives OF the organizations of locomo-
tive engineers, trainmen, tiremen and
conductors, has been reported to the
House by Mr. Erdmao, OF Pennsylvania.
Incorporated in the report accompany
ing the bill, are two letters addressed
10 Chairman McGann approving the
bill, one from Hon. Carroll d. Wright,
Commissioner Of Labor, and the other
from the LABOR representatives above
referred to.
The bill agreed upon by the Commit
tee, as Mr.. Wright sets forth in his
letter, contains
ALL THE VITAL PRIClPLEs
included in the bill presented by himself
and Mr.. Herman as an outcome of the
investigation OF the Chicago strike.
ut is bnt" he says, (which, in its
provisions seeks to place labor on a
more thorough basis than it now occu-
pies. IL also, in its most material sec
tions, especially Nos. :, s and Q, brings
to labor organizations the opportunity
for really perfecting their work, and for
cooperating with the managers OF rail
roads la preventing strikes and all man
ner of violence. in avoiding threats and
Ia eliminating inJimidatious. II also
gives employees
AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD,
when receivers are in control of rail-
roads, upon the question OF reduction
OF their wages aud the conditions Of
their employment, should changes
therein be sought by receivers. The
bill in no sense aims at compulsory ar
bitratiou, and only provides so far as
arbitration is concerned, for immediate
action, first 10 secure conciiatiOn or
mediation, and failing in that, the con-
StitutiOn of a board of arbitration, the
awards OF which may be final If the
parties coming before II agree that they
shall be. see DO reason whatever for
critirising it adversely. Ou ,he other
hand, while it
WILL NOT SOLVE THE LABOR PROBLEM,
nor prevent strikes entirely, it viii, in
my opinion, do much TO steady the
forces involved and afford a powerful
and even effective balance wheel in in
ter-state controversies.
The other letter is signed by E: T.
Clark, OF the Order Of Railway COnduc-
tors; Frank 2. Sargent and f. NJ. Ar
mold, Brotherhood OF Locomotive Fire
men; p. n. Arthur, Brotherhood OF
Locomotive Engineers; d. l. Cease
D.. rhnr 4 ~ Iro q in
men, and W. p. Powell, Order OF Kali
road Telegraphers. This letter sets
forth that that the organ zation OF
railway employees represented are 10
hearty accord Of the general sentiment
iu favor of arbitration, as
A MEANS FOR SETTLING DISPUTES
and favor the enactment OF laws by the
national Congress as preferable TO any
that might be enacted by the legislatures
OF the ditferent States.
The writer points out that they nave
never been willing to subscribe TO the
idea OF a permanent commission or
fixed arbitrator named in advance, and
arreeably to that idea, proposed the
amendment regarding the organization
NJ the arbitration commission, already
nolnted out ia these dispatches. Al the
same time, ;hey think it essential there
should be some government oihcer
whose duty it is to Immediately take up
the matter of settlement Of disputes by
cancellation or mediation, and If this Is
unsuccessful, to attempt to secure arbi-
trstion
FTFORE WAR Is DECLARED.
In obiecting TO Section 20 OF the bill
as originally drawn by the Attorney
General. which gave the government
right 20 bring suit 10 equity to prevent
a continuance of strike, the labor men
saw they believe IL covers ground not
contemplated by the preceding provis'
ions of the bill and that it could easily
be construed in such way as 10 en-
t,rely defeat the objects aimed at.
I'VE believe that il contemplates In
yesting the representatives. Of the Cen
eral Government with authority which
il not consistent with the accepted un-
derstanding OF the rights Of the prop
ertv owners or individual citizens. In
short. we look upon it as a long step in
the direction OF Government paterna
ism or eventual government ownership
NJ railways, or, 10 use briefer and
stronger term, State socialism, pure
srd sim nlp -