Evening star., 1901-08-10
TO SETTLE DISPUTES
Proposed Establishment Of Compul-
sorry Arbitration.
REMEDY URGED FOR LABOR TROUBLES
Views Submitted to the industrial
Commission.
THOROUGHLY DISCU s SSED

The great strike in the steel industry has
| given rise to many suggestions regarding
| means for preventing such conflicts be-
| tween capital and labor. The long popular
remedy that the government intervene to
settle such difficulties is among sugges-
| tions to reach the desired end. This, among
other propositions, will come before the
| industrial commission next month, when
| that body will meet to frame it's report. 1t
| will first dispose of it's report on trusts to
Congress, with recommendations for legis-
| lation.
Those who have given careful considera-
| ton to the idea of governmental interfer-
| ence in labor conflicts declare that that
proposition, while carrying pleasant
sound to the as an easy way of dis
posing of a difficulty, will not only not bear
| analysis, but that 1t would not be accept
| able to either labor or capital. They say
| that 1t is valuable merely as a haZy Sug-
| gestion and similar to the ancient idea that
| the most perfect government would be by
| an all-good and all-wise monarch, whose
| dlctum would be promptly enforced and so
prevent controversy and destructive con-
| fiict.
| The chief trouble with this proposition,
they say, Is that the king might not prove
| to be all wise and all good, but that he
| might be found to be human and suscepti-
| BILE to human frailties. So it is declared by
| those who oppose the idea Of governmental
| intervention, it VII, not be possible to find
an all-wise and all-good arbitrator or board
| Of arbitration, and there would be no guar
antee that such plan would satisfy both
parties to the controversy, however fairly it
might be administered. If the decision
were not satisfactory to both sides either
| 1T would settle nothing or force would have
| to be applied to the employer to continue
MS work and pay wages and concede con-
ditions according to the decision. or the
I l4hnrar wn1116 ha 70 tl,a
| shop and resume his employment. The
logical result of such plan it is said in
| wolves the use of arbitrary power and the
| loss of liberty, If 1t were possible to en-
force it.
In Case of Loss by Employers.
Those who denounce the idea of govern
| ment interference in labor troubles say
| that If any arbitrary power is to be used
to force an employer to keep his mills
open and pay wages that are dictated to
| him that power should be ready to supply
any deficiency Of revenue that may be
caused by an excess of the wage roll over
the income from the sales of the product
! of the mill. If there is not to be a free
bargain between the employer and en-
ploye they declare that the whole fabric of
the present commercial. world would fall
to pieces. They say the employer would
not risk his capital in an enterprise he
could not control so far as his power to
what conditions he would offer to his en-
ployes are concerned.
Views of Labor Leaders.
Leaders Of labor organizations who have
been before the Industrial commission as
witnesses have shown no sympathy with
the idea that the settlement Of their dis
putes be taken out of their hands. Mr..
Gompers when on the stand clearly indi-
Gated his confidence in labor in organized
form to bargain for itself and to take care
Of it's interests. He indicated his indiffer-
ence to legislation as means of assisting
| labor. simply because he felt that the best
results would come from labor's own ef-
forts. Very generally it was shown that
| labor organizations were opposed to being
incorporated, because of the liability i'm
posed on them by such Incorporation.
The fact that there are lines of industry
employing many thousands of men in which
the workmen are fully organized and in
which there have been no strikes for many
years is pointed to as an evidence that
capital and labor organizations may treat
to their mutual advantage and avoid
strikes. The five brotherhoods Of railroad
employees comprise one of the strongest, If
not the strongest, labor organization con-
nected with single industry in the world
The railroads employ only members of
these organizations for the work covered
by the organizations.
The organizations discipline their men,
bers to guarantee efficient service and they
! are fraternal and beneficial to a high de-
gree. Their representatives are constantly
treating with railroad officials in relation
to disputes between employees and the
companies.
Railways and Their Men.
Railway men spoke only favorably of the
| five brotherhoods of railroad employees, and
| the testimony taken before the commission
showed that the railways and employees
regarded their plan of dealing with each
other mutually desirable for many reasons.
They have agreements as to wages and
conditions Of labor. The men have a right
to strike II they cannot make satisfactory
agreements, and the railroad officials can
reduce wages If they want to do II. But
there have been for years no disputes be-
tween the two parties to these agreements
that have not been settled amicably.
There Is no likelihood that the indust rial
commission will recommend any plan for
governmental interference with labor dis
putes other than those that involve mere
conciliation, that would include no exercise
of power to enforce anything.