Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-06-15
HILL ON LABOR
TALKS OF WALKING DELEGATES
AND BUSINESS AGENTS.
Quicker Employers and Employees
Get Together Without Interme-
diaries the Better 1t Will BE
for Both Sides-.Need of BETTER
Understanding Is Apparent.

st. Paul, June - President James
J. Hill. of the Northern Securities Com
pany, is rarely given to lending express.
sion to general views on the problems
lying between labor and capital, and
his EXPIRE ssions on the question OF
bringing about closer relations between
the employer and the wage Garner, Civ
en- on the platform of Pullman just
before he left for New York on bust
ness tip, are considered, therefore, OF
special significance.
"You know what think of these in.
termeidary agencies between an employ
er and his men," he said. "They
should be done away with. Walking
delegates. business agents and all 9TH
ers who obstruct the personal relations
that should exist should be eliminated.
II is good sign when employees realize
this necessity and voice it,"
Mr.. Hill had just been shown a tele-
gram from New York announcing the
decision of powerful association of
employees of that city to propose joint
arbitration board to act as their sole
representative in dealings with employ
ers. In referring to business agents and
walking delegates, Mr.. Hill referred
more to the broad views of the labor
question than to those representatives
specifically, indicating in this express
sion on the question his belief that un-
der the close personal relations he
thinks should exist, and which he con.
siders a possibility of the future. that
the necessity for such intermediate.
will disappear.
Further commenting on the newer
aspects of the progress towards a better
understanding between the men who
work for wages and those who EMPLOY
them, Mr. Hill indicated his belief that
when employees can be brought to feel
that their employers have direct per-
sonal interest in them, and that the
man and his employers are simply part
of a close organization working tor com
mon end and interest, bitter animosi-
ties, long drawn out strikes and other
factional strife will disappear.
"You know what the attitude of the
Great Northern road is on this ones.
tion,' he said. 81 don't need to tell
you that we favor the closest possible
relations with our men. We want nc
more Intermediary negotiations than
possihle-we prefer to deal directly
wherever possible"
With regard to the movement, indi-
cations of which have sprung up at va
rions points, towards a better under
standing between employees and employ
ers, Mr. Hill said:
"The need is apparent, when one re-
views the countless number of strikes
during the past few years. A strike is
a bad proposition-bad for employer
and emplove alike. The men frequent
ly lose more than they gain, and bad
feeling is engendered. No one who en-
ploys labor can help but hope the day
will come when differences will lend
themselves to ready and immediate adj
justment, without recourse to strikes
or other violent means Pacific negoti-
atoms, pursued with the idea OF bring
ing an early settlement, backed by a
strong desire to preserve friendly rela-
tions on both sides, and by desire to
serve the common good by avoiding in
terruptions of business, ought to replace
the more violent and disastrous meth
DDS of settling ditficultes.'