The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-11-19

SuggestlonS, it Is true, have been made
more than once to the effect that cor
porations owing their existence to fran
chises or charters granted by the State
or municipality should be subjected to the
interposition of board representing the
State in case of any dispute with its
employees. This view has been urged,
especially with relation to railroad and
trolley companies. 1t has been contended
and with much plausibility, that when
the people grant charters to such COM
panies they have right TO interfere
whenever there is a strike or deadlock
which disorganizes traffic and causes loss
and Inconvenience to the public. Grant
ing for the sake of argument that this
Is true, we must keep in mind one thing
No law can be passed that does not
apply equally to employers and employees.
whether the former be corporations or In
dividuals. If the State Board of Arbi-
tration were empowered to step in arbi-
trarily and settle a dispute between a cor
poration and its employees the board would
necessarily be vested with authority to
enforce its decision against either or
both.
Could it compel men to work for less
wages than they thought themselves en-
titled to? Or TO work longer hours than
they deemed reasonable? Could an s-.=
ployer, even If corporation, be Obliged
to pay more wages than he, or it, com
sidered fair and proper?
There have been recently many more or
less learned essays, orations and fulnina-
tions directed against government by in
junction. Under a genuine, unadulterated
compulsory arbitration law we should
have more government by injunetion than
the objectors to court Interference ever
dreamed of. We should have arbitration
i,ss boards or courts. fixing the rate Of wages.
all the industrial and commercial business
OF the State. The next logical step would
pe state ownership, that goal of the Ito
plan dreams of Socialism Perhaps it is
desirable to take now long stride in that
direction, but, if SO, it should be done de-
liberately and with a full understanding
OF whence and what it leads to.
Indeed, in New Zealand and other
parts of Australasia minimum wage
laws are. even now in operation. These
have raised the wages substantially in a
number of industries. On the other hand,
they have been the means of driving into
the streets old or slow men, and public
employment and old age pensions are at
present under discussion by way of meet
ing the unexpected, although quite natur-
al, fruits OF the laws to increase wages
by statute.
Those who are unwilling to sanction the
adoption of any of the remedies suggest
ed may ask: Must civilization on the
threshold of the twentieth century stand
nelplessly by while these wrangles and
disputes continue? Cannot we do more
than look on and emit expressions of
sympathy or indignation while men en-
gage in vengeful, even though bloodIess,
strife to gain point or assert donina-
ton, while, mayhap, women and children
sit in tears and nakedness and hunger
and business is paralyzed?
There should be little need of legisla-
tive interference in any form if employers
and employees made more of an effort to
reconcile their moral obligations with their
legal rights. No employer has a moral
right to draw inordinate profits from his
business while paying starvation wages
to those who earn these profits, even
though his legal right cannot be assailed.
No employer has a moral right to treat
his workers as animals, devoid of feeling
though it may be his legal right to do so.
And employees have, perhaps, an unques-
toned legal right to strike under anysor
all circumstances, but they must have ex-
hausted every legitimate means of gaining
the desired end before they can be morally
lustlned IN precipltating confict which
may bring distress to their families loss
If not ruin, to their employers, and trou-
bic to the community If they would but
reason together ere their relations became
strained or embittered most, if not al, la
Dor troubles could be harmoniously settled
without interruption of business. And
this brings US to the question of organiza-
tions on both sides. Many employees re-
gard with distrust, if not with positive
antipathy, associations of employers in the
same line of business. On the other
hand, there are employers who have a
similar feeling toward trades unions.
1t may not be the same everywhere, but
it has been our experiences that both
kinds of organizations are of incaIculable
value to each other, and the general pub
lie, If animated by the right spirit. Trades
unions officers, selected in times OF
peace, are usually chosen for their irteiii-
gence and solid character, and they have
great influence with their fellows. When
any difficulty threatens, these men, while
trying earnestly to fel all that they can
for their side, are generally anxious to
arrange settlement without an open
rupture And it has happened that
where an employer has been inclined
to stand upon his right to man
age his business in his own way, he has
been persuaded into a more conciliatory
spirit by the fellow members of his as
sociation; they realized that his action
might mean peace or war for the whoE
trade and appreciated the advantage OF
healing the breach before it widened ir-
reparably 1t is our deliberate opinion
that If the employers and employees, re-
spectfvely, in all trades formed organiza-
tions, and If the officers representing both
sides were to meet occasionally for the
purpose of talking over their mutual in
terests, there would rapidly grow up q
better understanding of what one side
owed to the other in the way of con-
sideration. Employers would then realize
that 1t paid them, in the most inclusive
sense of the word to treat their en-
ployes well, and the latter would doubt
less reeiprocate by loyalty promoting
and bearing their share Of the trouble in
| times of stress in the trade.
| When strike occurs, or is threat
| ened, and the indications do not favor
an amicable settlement by the parties
themselves the Board of Arbitration ought
| to have the power to summon wit
nesses, and enforce their attendance, so
that the State-the people-may get an
accurate understanding of the question
at issue. The findings of the board would
not, under existing laws, be binding on
anybody. They would have no legal force
and would have to rely for strength and
authority on the manifest justice and
imparitlaity of the facts and conclusions
therein set forth. Vest the board with
| this power. 1t will then be in a position
to investigate thoroughly every labor dis
| pute 1t will then be able to put before
| the community the evidence adduced un-
| tigators, and it would remain for public
| sentiment to do the rest.
WEATHER INDICATIONS.