The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-04
They Deliver Addresses Before
State Society of Labor.
Governor Makes Plea For Fair
ness ON Both Sides.
ENFORCE ARBITRATION
Chief Justice in Mastery Man.
ner Shows Its Advantages.
Hopes to See Time When Wages
Control Prices.

With the 200 or more delegates, aug
mented by a large number of visitors,
Representative hall was packed Monday
evening with an audience which gather
ed at the first public session of the
fourth annual convention of the state
convention of labor and industry. From
the west balcony the North Star Male
chorus of 20 voices gave all the musical
numbers, and after the first selection
and a response to an encore Governor
w. E. Stanley gave an address of well
come.
There isn't any man in his individual
capacity that ever cuts much figure in
the world said the governor. But it
Is In his representative capacity that we
are about all that we are. This little
body of few delegates doesn't repre-
sent much individuality, but take what
1t stands for and it is very important
one. In my mind labor and capital al
ways go hand in hand; they work our
farms; they go down in our mines and
bring out coal, and every thing we have
we owe to this union of labor and CAPT
tai. In the great body polite labor
is one of the great members for the up
building of this body and capital is an
other. Should they not travel not only
in close but also in friendly relation
ship? The only way to determine this
relationship is by both sides being alb
solutely fair. And when we get so that
we are absolutely fair, then we can get
along without any trouble.
Labor ought to have the full measure
of reward to which it is entitled. We
must depend upon it everywhere. And
it is as dignified as any calling a man
can follow. The man who works in the
gutter, If he be honest, is entitled to as
or occupation. And by his labor he has
placed the foundation stones upon
which we are to build for all time to
come. Let US go on developing an in
lob
the time shall come when Kansas will
show more regard for labor than any
of our splendid galaxy of states.''
President George F. Whitlock, of
Wichita, responded briefly, calling at
tention to the Importance which labor
had assumed within a few decades and
the increased interest in labor organiza-
tions. He came out strongly against
the immigration of Chinese into the
United States as being a menace to the
best interests of the laboring classes.
TT was not the intention" said he, "of
the early settlers of this country to es-
tablish a place where a race should
come that would be a menace to US. The
gulf between the occident and the ori-
ent industriaily is just as great as it is
socially. The Chinaman should be alb
solutely debarred from this country
He advocated arbitration as a means of
bringing labor and capital nearer to-
gether.
JUSTICE DOSTER SPEAKS.
Following the speech of President
Whitlock, Frank Doster, chief justice of
the state supreme court, gave the lead
ing address of the evening, on Indus
trial Arbitration" AT the outset Chief
Justice Doster discussed at length the
industrial conditions now as compared
with what they were years ago. Much
of his speech was a consideration of the
question of compulsory arbitration as 1t
should be employed, particularly in
settling disputes between employers and
employees.
over and beyond the technical legal
right to control employers of labor in
the respect mentioned, a moral justif-
cation must be found,'' said he. THAT
justification is to be found, in my opin-
ion, in two facts which have been here
tofore adverted to, one of which was
dweIt on somewhat. They are, first,
the concentration of the workers into
masses, into combinations, into commu-
mites of interests, in which the re-
spective units composing them are
without the compensating advantage of
any tribunal known to law for adjudi-
eating for them their claims of COM
mon right. The other fact in consti-
tuting an ethical ground for legal in
in behalf of the employe
class is its comparative weakness and
to contend with the employer
class on the field of industrial strife.
Compulsory arbitration is the COM
pulsion to submit disputes between
and their employers to the
decision of a disinterested tribunal; and
the disputes ordinarily re- |
ate to the wage scales, hours of labor. |
Or the conditions of labor performed il
is manifest that the decisions made |
pear upon the future rather than re- |
ate to the past. On account of such a |
'act the opponents of compulsory arbi- |
ration characterize it as a species Oh |
;erfdom because as they say it obli- |
"a teS men to remain under penalties IN |
,iious conditions of employment. This, |
,S If SaaOS f0 me is mere adiapfiuo de-
but if it We're true it would |
n reality be no worse than conditions |
which obtain without compulsory arbi- |
ration. / beg to say that in the world /
# competitive business strife the work |
ngman has no choice, in any case with
,ut arbitration, but to accept the wages
md conditions of employment that are /
ixed for him by some one else. The |
,nly practical question for him is how |
ind by whom shall they be fixed? Shall
hey be fixed by the rule of what the
economists call the iron law of wages
That law as it is explained to us is the |
endency of wages to depreciate to the
oweSt point at which it is possible for
he wage Garner to sustain life and yet |
ender efficient service. That law is
he employers law and is administered /
" him as both itigant and judge.
After all the opponents of compu1
ory arbitration overlook the fact that |
uch methods of settlement need not be
lad unless one side or the other asks |
t. and they also overlook the fact that |
n the vast majority of cases the work
ng1nen will be the ones to ask. Theirs
$ the side with the grievance to be
emedied. In fact the arbitration would
e voluntary on their part compulsory
n the employer.
After all, the whole scheme of legal
ustice is scheme of arbitra ton. We
all one class of judicial tribunals
ourts. and another we call boards of |
rbitration. 1t is true the powers of
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