New-York tribune., 1902-09-01

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: What Abram s Hewitt has said about lhe
workingrnans right to sell labor in free mar
ket' and the Injustice of trade unions ana ther
attacks upon the wage earners' personal hoer'g
VIII be indorsed by every honest clti<eh'
Then to his demand that there hus' N'e
appropriate legislation TO prevent 'he feoui
renee of such calamitous conflicts, wherepy every
body is injured and no one is benefited IL is 3ust
one. but how legislate properly on SUBJECT SO
complex is great problem
The serious trouble in the present condition or
things is that capital and labor are all the un1e
widening the gulf that separates them. when. SO
far their true interests are concerned, they
should be all the time drawing nearer 10 some sES
tenn OF practical agreement and co-ordihauoh-
corporation implies completeness AS III 'He
old English manorial and guild systems the cor
poratioR had for its parts the capital OF ra"
produce. labor. and capital of final produenoh' SO
herein there was a common and mutual interest,"
both industrial and personal and therefore there
could be no contest between the dintrent parts OF
the body
They had their own charters, their own courts
for the adjudication of their own laws the courts
being composed of both capitalists and art11cers-
Unless something OF Inis scrt can be estaeAshed
the same contests will go rs before, because
there will be change in the relationship or the
parties-capital and labor. In the present slt-
uation have the one hand the trades unions
representing labor, and on the other hahd 'hs
trusts an organization of capital Of raw produce
constitution of State could be amended that IL
would be impossible for such State to grant any
charter which did not embrace both labor ana
capital in some manner described above. ana old
not make provision for joint meetings OF these
factors on some well defined plane OF proportional
representation for the discussion and decision OF
mutual personal and industrial Interests ,,-
a ttndtncy 20 do away with strikeSI Also Wou!a
II not make tangible industrial factor when
would otherwise be intangible, in that IL pleees
the Iaborer's wage and labor tSeif ~lthlh tne
EIp iDCO
introduce into the council of the capitalists an
elemrnt In sympathy with the consumer. mus
extent any attempt TO place fnofdlhate prices "h
produced articles, . ..,.u,
letter that all trades unions Shouts ne lncot fs
porated If this were done this alone Houto @
not give the iaeor organizations hhat eisII no
erty and responsibility that the writer deeHls -
necessary For the laboTers wage is the only pasls
out Of which imposed penalti can be pald; but
this wage is varying ana always IN IhotIon .o, II -
necessary 10 have hands on both payer and payee
AS TO the proposed remedy at the ballot ooH SO
england being cited as an example Sy thehl, 'hls
can he answered by sentence; our ieissIVe I'm, III,
stitutions differ from those OF England, Ior ihey
are such that party, VICTORIOUS al siecuoiis'
could control both the Senate and the House. CIV.
ing such party power over industrial ana alahelai
nr0blerns which would be thoroughly despodc Ann
one wishes 10 see a good illustration or the
wretched muddie into which unwise labor orsanza-
tions may bring the most honest OF wage eashsbts'
as well employers. let me refer MN 10 s ,hs
contest now going between the Anal ga matea
Painters ard Decorators and the Association OF
Interior Decorators and Cabinet AskeTs oL Ie"
Vork C7ftv who are most extensive employers OF
lIbor This one example is enough 70 prove the
need of some remedial legislation and along lust
T1ct3 nee As the writer has here tried at least to
stleaast go JOSIAH c. PTAPELLf.
Newport r. l.. Aug. %, lS2.