The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-07-28
OUR SOCIAL CONDITION
Bishop Spalding Points Out
Many Perils of Americans.
ALL BASED ON MONEY MAKING.

Eminent Thinker Declares some Of
our Greatest Industries Are Cap
itaIized at -Four ana Five Times
Their Real ynIue-This Country
Most Extravagant on Earth and
Tsue Ideals Not FoIIowed-IdeaI
Socialism Not Desired, He says.
In a recent interview in the New
York Herald Bishop spalding Of PEG
ria, member Of the anthracite coal
strike commission, said
aHere, to my mind, have been the
great results of the work of the COM
mission not only in the anthracite re-
gions IN particular, but in some de-
gree ali over the labor world in Amer
lea:
employer and employed have been
brought from the extremes Of social
conditions near enough together to see
the common manhood binding them to-
getlIer, on both sides concessions
have been made. The employer has
been shown some Of the hardships Of
the employee, living in the squalid
shack, and the employee in turn has
seen some Of the slave driving exac-
lions which wealth imposes upon its
possessor The drama OF life and liY-
ing was shown not only to the SOS wit
T nesses called on both sides, but to the
crowded halls day after day in Scran-
ton and philadelphia, until the com
mission finally went into secret SEES
sion ia Washington, and there in ex-
ecutive session the striking fact Of the
investigation was the almost unani-
nous verdict Of the commissioners
upon every point finally set at rest.
nAs to the anthracite regions. both
parties to the long contest are the bet
ter for the arbitration. Irritations and
misunderstanding on both sides have
been swept away. In the conduct Of
the commissions investigations its har-
monious movement throughout was
more marked than it could have been
in court Of law. Lawyers were more
I conslderate of witnesses. Technieali-
| ties had less consideration More eff
fort was made on both sides to plaeate
the commission than would have been
shown in a jury case of the kind In a
state or federal court
..But this was voluntary arbitration, {"
suggested the questoner. "Do you IN.
derstand that an arbitration commit
tee, working under agreements Of both
interested parties, would move with
less friction than a possible board of
compulsory arbitration
'.Yes." replied the bishop. New Zea-
land has compulsory arbitration and
has called it successful But 1t must
not be forgotten that New Zealand still
is a primitive civilization, with no re
alization OF the intricacies Of the I'M
dustria system Of the United States,
] To consider arbitration in America, il
/ was Washington who said In proper.
ton as the structure of government
gives force to public opinion it Is es-
sential that public opinion should be
enlightened
Nov, compulsory arbitration, what
ever arguments may be advanced In
favor Of 1t, Is not practicable in a
country like ours. The settling of dis
| putes can be accomplished By boards
Of Cancellation, to which employers and
employed voluntarily may refer mat
tiers in dispute When this is found
impossible and the business affects
large interests in which the general
welfare is involved, then simple in
vestigation should be made compulsory
aud laws to this effect should be en-
acted e
! There is marked difference be-
tween the principle aud the effect OF
compulsory investigation and compul-
sorry arbitration. This difference was
made plain in a remark which Samuel
Gompers once made to me when the
subject Of the conversation was the de-
STABILITY of the incorporation of the
4-ades unions as something to make
them more responsible parties to agree
ments,
9 Trades unionism said he, is just
as strong and never stronger than pub
lie opinion, and just as soon as organ
lied labor has lost the backing that it
hes ia the public opinion it will fall to
pieces of itself.
"Thus you see, in the first place, a
law demanding public investigation
into the merits OF labor controversy
becomes an appeal to public opinion;
second, 1t involves the laying open Of
The details Of private business to the
world, something that is not relished
by any man or any body Of men.
Third, it would prove a costly proc
vss to both sides to it. Whatever the
, finding Of such board might be, the
application of the remedy would not be
IN the hands Of the board, empowered
By any authority to act. 1t would be a
. finding addressed virtually to public
sentiment.
Eve VIII have strikes and lockouts
and perhaps violence in the future. The
fierce competitive system under which
we live, and which results in oyereapi-
talization and overproduction, IL re,
sponsible for many Of the evils from
, which we suffer.
Some Of our greatest industries are
! centralized nj four and five times their