The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-11-09

We are indebted to a recent issue Of
the Philadelphia North American for
an interesting interview with that vet
eran leader of unionisn, Chief Arthur.
Of the Brotherhood Of Locomotive En-
gineers, says the Mine Workers Journal
Mr.. Arthur's views on labor topics are
always read with interest because they
reflect the ideas of one who has spent
the best years Of his life in advancing
the interests of trade unionism, and to
whom in great measure is due the
credit for the development Of that
magnificent organization Of which he is
the honored leader.
In the course of his remarks, Mr..
Arthur said: Looking backward over
experiences during my connection with
the Brotherhood for the past thirty
eight years-for tWenty-eight of which
/ have served as their executive off,
Ger and five as their auditOr-I recall
the time when it was not at all an
easy matter to obtain an audience with
the representatives of the company.
Now how different it is.
"A delegation appointed by the en-
ployes to wait upon the president or
general manager of almost any rail-
road on the continent finds the doors
Of the executive office flung open and
the grievances or alleged grievances,
discussed with an earnestness that
shows realization that the welfare
of the company depends upon con-
tinuance of amicable relations between
employer and employee. Nowadays,
the railroad chiefs will take up the
work Of making rough places smooth
and crooked ones straight with as much
energy as though the Golfers of the
company benefited thereby, which un-
dubtedly they do.
II have harped continually on the
value of arbitration when the unswerv-
! able force meets the unmoveable one.
| So far as the brotherhood is concerned
do not know Of one dispute in its
history that could not have been SUBJ
mitted to arbitration. T have heard Of
the Australian plan Of national
board of arbitration, and decidedly in
dorse it.
| MY idea would be to have a board
made up Of three disinterested men,
whose regulations for fairness is above
question, each party to select one man
and the two to select a third.
objection to this suggestion will be
raised Immediately, and it will be said
that either the capitalist or the en-
ploye would be unwilling to submit the
matter in dispute to arbitration. My
calm conviction, based on a. life's ex-
perience with labor questions, is that
he who is willing to submit dis
pute to the decision Of the arbitrator
Is uncomfOrtably aware that his case
is not sound, and, therefore, fears de-
feat. "34 IA ii, 5. M III Il
! Continuing his remarks after favor
able comment on the possibilities of
compulsory arbitration, Mr.. Arthur
said: speaking for the Brotherhood,
and myself, I deprecate strikes. They
are foreign to our policy, which is an
amicable one. We have been called
selfish, exclusive and unsympathetic
because our stand in labor disputes
outside our own organization has al
ways been conservative one. hold
that that is the proper ground to take.
Each union for itself. The locomotive
engineers are in the skilled labor class.
They are quite capable of taking care
of themselves, without assistance from
others.
Let others rise to a similarly strong
position and they can then fight their
own battles without calling for gen.
eral throwing down of tools and tie
up from ocean to ocean. I believe in
unions being mutually helpful. Where
the fight is just one there should be
given moral and financial assistance,
advice and counsel. But for employees
who are we'll treated, at peace with
their employers and with no cause for
complaint to refuse to work in order
to strengthen the strike of body OF
men whose grievances interest them
only from a sympathetic point of view
is contrary to the dictates Of common
sense. and a. wrong Of which the
Brotherhood will never be guilty."
|
There are many-very many-trade
unionists who will not agree with Mr.
Arthur as to a conservative policy in