The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-12-18
Labor Usually Makes Advances.

Labor Usually Makes Advances.
henry Hoy, president of the National
foGnders' association, spoke
1he next speaker was Samuel COmDers
president of the American Federation Of
welcome III
At the outset Mr.. Gompers stated that
ne desired to take positive execution to
statements that had been made before the
conference during the afternoon. He had
al 6Stoy, ne said. advised the gentleman
whose remarks he intended to crftfcise
OF ms intention. Mr.. GOmpers added:
one OF the things TO which ! took ex-
CeptiGh was tnat, as an officer of the
Atch1son, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad
ne should undertake in this conference to
present ms side, the side of the railroad
IN a strike which is still in progress
without a representative of the strikers
Deing here to present their side of the
Solt ., teFsy (Appiause) It seemed to
me that If the opportunity of this confer
ence is to be taken ADVANTAGE of for the
presentation of the railroads side of this
CONTROVERSY, due notice might have been
SlVen 70 the representative of the Order
of Railway Telegrapf4ers, in order that
ne might be here to listen to what was
SAID, and refute it., if necessary. (Ap-
plause)
I am not prepared to say that what the
gentleman said was untrue. bat one story
is very good until the other side IS told -
Continuing, Mr. GOmpers said that from
me statements Of the Santa Fe official,
II would appear that all the Overtures to-
ward consolidation or arbitration in suCn
disputes as that between the Santa Fe
ana It's telegrapherS came from the en-
DlOyers.
Gompers trims" Santa Fe Official.
AIR. GOnpers asserted that on the con-
tTary, where there had been one offer
from the side OF associated capital, there
nae been hundreds on the side of organ
lied labor The employed, he said, had
become accustomed TO hear their prOfTeTS
or Cancellation met with the answer that
there is nothing to arbitrate." He add
ed, however, that he was not unmindful
Of the fact that there was a growing dis
position on the part of the employers to-
ward more cOnciliatOry policy This,
Mr. GOmpers believed, was due to the
growing strength OF organized labor
Cancellation between two parties having
diverse interests, he said, is only pursued
when they have either equal power OF
nearly equal power. Admitting that
strikes ought to be avoided in the inter
est of both capital ard labor. Mr.. Com
pers declared that there were some evils
more dreadful than strikes He added,
We strike. People in China don
Strikc- / wonder whether those who
would try to prevent the strikers from
striking Gr those who would punish the
workers for striking would like TO change
the condition from that which OBTAINS N
our country to that that obtains IN China,
If the absence of strikes were the meas
ure of civilization, then China ought to
stand at the head of the world" Laugh
ter and APPLAUSE
In conclusion he said:
I'VE shall insist upon the right to quit
work whenever the work becomes Irk-
some to US, and We shall always insist
on our right to strike for any reason OF
for no reason at all
Remarks of Santa Fe Official.
The santa Fe official to whose remarks
Mr. GOmpers took exception was Z. D
kenna, wee president ana general man
ager OF the road, who spoke in the after
noon He cOntended that If capital in
vested in railroads is subject 10 regulation
by the state, the employees working on
them should be subject OF like restraint
every difference except one that Ia.
arisen on the part of the Santa Fe Sys.
tenn has been adjusted by conference and
SO far as IS known 10 the company ON
Gals. adjusted TO the entire satisfaction
of the employees affected thereby. Ger
tainly, the most cordial relations eXlS
bervee-- the comDany's officials and the
men whose loyalty and fidelity are recos
nized at all times as most important fac
tors in the cOmpany's prosperity
Wright and Mitchell Talk.
nI.a conference was called TO order il
/ the morning by Mr. MacNeagh, Chairman
! Of the committee on arrangements. Car
rOl D. Wright. United States commission
! er of labor, followed.
Wright Urges Trade Boards.
Mr.. Wright spoke about Trade Boardi
+ of Cancellation and Arbitration
Abroad He drew these conclusion
and on the continent:
The system Of voluntary COnciha
! ton and arbitration, as carried on b,
/ private agreement, is elastic and ap
! piicabIe to all conditions.
/ Contact on the boards established
! has fostered respect and good feeling
/ The employers, years ago, before tn
! establishments Of such boards. by hold
! ing themselves aloof created the i'm
! preston that they were the dominant
( the men the serVient, factor in tn
/ trades. They have now lost in larg
j measure their autOcratic characteristic
! and they meet the men on an equant,
in a friendly, conciiatory way
Under arbitration as conducted j.
the early days the men were una bic
get the facts with which to meet tn
( masters statements. In such arbitTa
tfons each side came to prove its case
and the men usually failed for lack O
data Where formerly it was almOs
impossible for the men to know tn
( facts concerning the state OF trade an
the crises Of raw material and the fin
/ ished products, the desired infOrmatiO
is now secured by the aid OF audit
by trained accountants. The teStimOn
! Of some manufacturers is to the effeC
that the knowledge so acquired ha
/ satisfied the men as nothing else could
and the confidence thus given has no
been violated This has been true i
those instances in this country wher
employers have been willing to stat
/ to their men the exact conditions con
corning the production of their goods
I and when the knowledge so obtaine
I showed that the men misunderstood
the conditions they have withdraw
! their demands.
4 do not hesitate to declare that tn
real results to be reached by arbitra
ton and Cancellation can be secure
/ far more effectively and in a far NOR
/ acceptable manner through the trad
/ board as il exists today in nearly a
the industries of England, than by an
other means