Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-07

The first issue of the National Civic Fed
Grafton Monthly Review contains an ex-
tremely important symposium upon the
question whether trades unions should In
corporate. The opinions printed are the
we'll considered views of men who have a
right to speak upon the s~ubject-leaders
of thought and action, representing, first,
employers; second, employees; third, the
general public; and. fourth, the members
OF the bar. Summing up the discussion
in its broadcast lines. 1t may be said that
the employers, with several exceptions,
favor the Incorporation of the unions;
the wage-earners, with fewer exceptions,
oppose It; the representatives of the gen
eral public are more EVENLY divided, but
as a rule, think incorporation unwise for
the unions under present laws; while the
members of the bar, dividing somewhat
similarly as to the wisdom of Incorporation,
are practically a unit in declaring that even
without incorporation unions may be held
legally responsible for any wrongs they
infict.
The argument Of employers for the in
corporation Of trades unions is substan-
TALLY the same in all the opinions. The
| incorporation of trades unions, 1t is argued,
and the consequent liability of the orders
20 damage suits, would make them more
responsible and more conservative. H.
| saws Mr.. Eidlitz, the head OF the new
building trades employers federation IN
New York, "a union felt hat its treasury
and standing might be je~opardized. It
would tend TO make 1t see that its actions
were strictly within the law" "Conserva-
tism." says General Manager Kruttschmitt
| OF the Southern Pacific company, must
necessarily follow responsibility, and, how
ever this can be brought about, whether
by Incorporation of the unions or by
decisions of the courts against members,
I am firmly OF the belief that establishing
the principle that a party inficting an
injury must pay the resulting damages
will conhne the efforts of labor leaders to
their legitimate functions and will dis
courage the present practice of declaring
actual war on persons and property as soon
as any contention arises on aRy Industrial
question"
OF the employers who DO not advocate the
Incorporation Of trades unions, Senator
Hanna takes the position that incorporation
is unnecessary to make unions keep theil
agreements, and President Galloway Of thu
American Locomotive company takes tho
position that incorporation promises few
benefits and thai the thing needed is fair
minded men to represent both unions and
employers in their conferences. One EN-
ployer, however. E.. f. Du Brul, commits
sioner Of the National Metal Trades asso
citation. declares that incorporation woulS
not increase the responsibility of the unionI
and would probably relieve their member
of their present personal liability.
The objections offered by trades unionisti
to Incorporation are many and varied. bu
usually center about two points: "a feal
OF litigation; CD distrust Of the sympathie
of the judiciary. President James M. Lyncl
OF the international Typographical unioI
puts both OF these points succinctly in tn,
following sentences: 1T would take a trad
union antagonist with money at his com
mand but a short time to wreck a labo
organization through judicial procedure
HnrL--- H. ILL.,. L. ~. Aa-nan