The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-04-22
CHIEF ARTHUR AND INQUIRE.

90 Ltt&CIAl 9Isl itassAs
CHEZ ARTHUR AND INQUIRE.
Chief Arthur, of the Locomotive En-
gineers, and Secretary Mcclure. OF the
Carpenters and Joiners. gave testimony
on Thursday before the Industrial COM
mission which cannot be ignored either
by capitalists or the iaborlng interests
in taking measure of the social con-
ditlons Of the present time. The two
men are Representatives. of two of the
most powerful and most successful OF
the labor organizations Their state
ments bear the weight Of authority.
From the point Of view Of the capital
list the gratifying feature Of the testi-
mony was that both men considered the
conditions Of the societies which they
spects. an Improvement over the con-
diaons IL previous years Chief Arthur
stated that the engineers had written
agreements with over 30 per cent. Of the
railroads as 10 their wage and work ar
rangemsntS. Secretary Mcclure stated
that the carpenters wages were 80 to 40
per cent higher than those of forty
years ago. and that the situation Of the
workers socially was much improved in
the larger centers Of population.
The political agitators who close their
eyes To facts and attempt to incite the
manual labor classes 10 disanection will
ind cold comfort In such evidence
On the ether hand. Chief Arthur
stated that the strikes made by his
organization had been severe and for
the most part successful. while Score
tary Mcclure adducea the somewha.
startling fact that ont of 1885 strikes
participated In by The carpenters. sos
had been won. only 81 had been lost and
81 had been compromised II combined
capital be disposed to crowd and g,uge
itz employees. there can br 10 eneour-
agenlent fer such disposition In this
showing Labor evidently is closely
united and loyalty cementea for xelf-de-
Tense
According Ia the chief 81 the locomo-
tive engineers 81 per cent cf all thu en-
gineers sn the country. or g. - in all.
are members ef the brother hood. ard
all u that large number are. by require
msnt reputable and able agents I'm their
craft-~as many rs IL members having
been discharged In are yeer for failure
Ia live up - the standards N The or.
Der. The carpenters and tainers have
led the Federation ~ Labor in az inn
porfant ~ee|e> x strikes and have BE-
come 0s'igh dreaded TOR be tenaclty %,
their purpose and the comprehensive
ness of tile}s operations Many ather
organizations sn other trades ere quite
as string ana DANGEROUS - the$e wha
menace their welfare The enggncers
ard The carpenters are onIy types ~ te.
increasing efficiency ~ ssaauar ho,lies
Il woFkinsnseu
l'ersans whe reaa between the lines
u 'he news II th~ fay vii have Oh
served she pro~lr1ness w,th wbIah gb<
r'aiogity It syyskea ave distressed ~.
either fes tAe ssaa Ger far tse dlsalyan-
tss~ 80 the STRIKES The necessity los
abs long enzfpasens raeh as were ear.
ries' 81 IN the eighties has altered F,ga.
Y'esers ard efevl2ye> understand eaeA
o'hsr's roveer ana N.'si5iaa aal arblsra,
ton Is elected a. 'he quickest ani casi
~st nsose e settiease0t Tf.r STRIFE
therefore. IS vanishing as = 1afor tac-
toF ant ea9.saf* tes3esaocy En- tha .ie-
fnanaS - 'ahae }e ss,a'rs' a~ 0l,s eaaai
'rri'sis 1Ae s.r0e ss passing whea
rrosgHFSgv cauf4 - ssys.stssea