The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-02-15
DEcADENcE OF STRIKES


During the last eighteen months revolts
of employees against the demands of en-
ployers have been unusually numerous.
Hard times cause downward tendency
to wages the same as to prices. Working
men have been struggling to arrest this
downward tendency, knowing that when
conditions improve, wages are the last to
advance. Though strikes have been fire.
quent and some of them on large scale,
and in several instances attended by vio-
lence and generally by maddened feeling
between the contending classes, still there
are some indications that in future differ
ences may be adjusted without the CO.
ercve and disastrous methods that have
been employed.
The country has been aroused to the
necessity of preventing strikes, which in
the end produce no result but injury to
employers, employees and the commu-
nifty. A great pressure is brought to bear
upon both sides to adjust differences by
voluntary arbitration, and this effort not
having met with very much success, COM
pulsory arbitration is urged as a sovereign
remedy. Without entering upon discus
sion of this remedy it is enough to say
that the evils resulting from strikes have
produced public sentiment that has
decided and beneficial influence upon the
contending parties. The pecuniary inter-
ests OF employers and employees being in
conflict, each side has looked upon the
other as an enemy in hostile array, and
both have been governed more by their
inimical feelings than by what is to their
mutual interests.
The employer says, Il am going to run
my own business in my own way and not
allow others to dictate" Now, that is
just what no man can do when he has to
employ Others to assist him. He alone
cannot dictate wages any more than the
working man can. What shall be paid is
matter of agreement and it takes at
least two to make a contract. No man
can be absolutely Independent, for it is in
consistent with social organizations in
which the individual is but constituent
of the whole. This becoming better I'M
derstood is gradually making a change in
mems ideas, and this, together with the
recognized fact that employers and en-
ployees cannot get along alone, and that
after all, their interests are mutual, has
already produced a change of feeling, a
disposition to consider relations from the
standpoint of mutual right and duty.
The trouble has been the absence of
frankness and confidence on both sides,
The employer should not want to keep the
employee in an impoverished condition
by getting his labor for less than it is
worth; nor should the employee demand
wages that would deprive his employer
of reasonable profit and especially that
will subject him to loss and perhaps bank
ruptcy. These are just principles in bust
ness, and results can be determined in adj
vance with a considerable degree of accu-
racy. The employer should frankly state
all the facts upon which he relies to pro-
duce certain results, the capital invested,
the expenses of the business, the cost of
the materials he uses, the prices he ex-
poets to get for his products, and the haz-
ards incident to the enterprise. These be-
ing known it is easy to estimate the wages
he can afford to pay. By doing this the
will also understand the stua-
ton, and can readily see what wages he
ought of right to receive. When this
course is pursued there will be con-
hdence and esteem instead of suspicion
and hate. The employee should make an
effort to become sufficiently intelligent to
perceive changes in conditions and their
effect upon the results of the business
When this is done there will be no diff
Guilty in producing concurrence of minds
upon what is just compensation for SER
vices. 1t is only necessary that the prin-
ciple of the old saying, Give and let
live be applied.
1t is an augury of a better state of affairs
in future that the parties can more easily
be brought to discussion of differences
than formerly 1t was a wise provision
in the old English common law that liti-
giants were permitted to imparl before
trial. as it resulted in frequent settlement
of disputes. When fair men sit down to
talk over matters of difference they
nearly always come to an agree
ment. Wages should have refer
ence to conditions as they exist
and should go up or down
as changes take place. If public
sentiment demands that employers and
employees shall imparl before resorting
to extreme measures there will probably
be no lock-outs nor strikes. The side that
will not discuss and assent to just terms
should receive universal condemnation
The laborer i'll this country is free man
and is entitled to such treatment and CON
as free men deserve. Capital
and property should never be wantonly
destroyed. Labor and capital are hand
maids in wealth development, and when