The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-09-05
ARBITRATION.


,.arros u. Wright. Commissioners OF
labor. and the other is the reply Of
president Baer, of the Reading Com
pany. to Senators Quay and Penrose.
who had called upon him to discuss the
sunJec,
sir. wright says that the mine ope-
rators are not opposed to organized
labor and not opposed TO dealing with
the union. but they hold that as the
situation IN the anthracite region is
peculiar. the anthracite miners should
have a union OF their own, independent
OF the Mtne-Norkers Onion. which en-
braces the workers in the hitumiRons
regions as well He tells us also that
tho operators feel that when asked to
make contracts with a labor union the
latter should put itself in position to be
peculiarly responsible Tor carrying out
such contracts.
This seems to us quite reasonable. We
nave repeatedly said in discussing this
subject that IN our opinion organized
labor would greatly strengthen itself II
st organized under legal charter and
made :tsalr responsible in law for the
discharge CT its contract agreements.
{ contract which is not legally binding on
both sides IS not q legal contract and
is a very uncertain contract Moreover,
when one party to the contract is re-
sponsihle IN faw and the other is not.
Z ii becomes an unfair contract. If one
SIDE must abide by the agreement or
pay the forfeit and the other side may
violate the terms ct will, the contract
SIS one-sided and no business man is dis
posed to enter into it. 1t is 10 be noted.
however, that while Mr.. Wright recon-
mends that the anthracite coal miners
organize an independent union of their
own, he makes no recommendation on
the subject oil legal Incorporation.
The replr of President Baer, of the
Reading Company. 10 Senator'S Quay
and Pcnrose Is a partisan statement
and he naturally makes the best OF his
side Of the case but he has made in
the main, a very strong presentation. Ila
says, first of all, that wages cannot be
Increased without increasing the price
of coal, and that TO increase the price
of coal would restrict the market and
drive the public to use bitumnous coal
a cheaper and more abundant fuel. In
snort. ne makes plain the fact and con-
ssses 1t that anthracite coal is in COM
peGuon with bltumnous coal, and that
bitumIneus coal nxes the price.
ihere can be no two opinions as to
ms. Soon after the strike began that
Tact WIS stated 30 a representative OF
The Times by President Stevens. OF the
chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company
and was mentioned in these columns
THAT simple statement refutcs the a~sor-
lion so often made that the Reading
Company is a monopoly. with power to
raise the price Of anthracite coal at
Will and to any exorbtant figure.
Mr.. Baer declares that his company
and their associates are not fighting
labor organizations, fully recognizing
the r1gnt OF men to organize to protect
themselves from oppression and to hene-
nj themselves in any legitimate way
But we do oppose, he adds, their I'M
reasonable interference with the dis
cipnne and ordinary management OF our
business. We will not permit them TO
select our employees. Neither politics.
reugIon nationality nor membership in
labor organizations shall debar any COM
rctent man from Working for US. We
are lighting the battle OF freedom for
the Individual and his right to labor on
his own terms.
If that be true. MI Baer is right in
refusing to arb!trate that point, for in
II is involved the great principle of
American liberty, and that is not sub
aect OF arbitration.
We cannot agree with Mr.. Baer, how
ever, IN his contention thar the ques-
ton of wages cannot be arbitrated, for
the reason alleged that wages cannot
be increased without increasing the price
of coal. which is Impracucable as al
ready pointed out. or running the mines
at u loss.
Il by no means necessarily follows that
arbitration WOULD result in an increase
in wages. Arbitrators are supposed 10
be tair to both sides. and if the mine
owners could convince a board of in
telngent arbitrators that it was imprac-
ucabie 10 increase wages, the board
would in fairness decide with the mine
owners.
At seems TO us that the report Of Com
missioner Wright and the statement OF
President Baer have fairly opened the
way 10 satisfactory adjustment OF
these diucrences. President Mitchell
has puonc,y Denied that 1t is the pur-
pose of his organization to prevent non
union men from working in the mines,
and mas SAID, If We understand him
correctly, that the only object of the
strike Is TO get better wages FOR The
miners. II that be indeed the only qucs-
ton involved, there is no sufficient rea-
son, and President Baer has assigned
none, Tor retusa! on the part OF the
mine-owners 10 arbitratc IL therefore.
the strikers Will make proposal TO the
mine-owners to organize a union OF their
49, X