Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-12
MUCH IS At STAKE
Importance of San Francisco
Wages Controversy.
BEFORE COMMISSION
ARGUMENTS TO BE MADE IN NEW
YORK TOMORROW.
Representative Livernash Holds That
the Decision Will Have Far
Reaching Effects.

1Ncpi cScHettiNe ELuWdfu LiNSiHdSh, !" nv
| was sent to the House Of Representatives
| by the union labor party Of San Francisco,
J left Washington for New York yesterday to
plead the cause Of organized labor in an
arbitration proceeding, which is likely to
| yield presidents of far-reaching impor-
| lance. Indeed. some of the most thought
| full of the American labor leaders regard
| the battle for the principles involved in the
| arbitration as second in moment to none
| yet fought in this country, not even ex-
| cepting the fight made by the miners before
the anthracite coal strike commission.
The arbitration Immediately concerns the
| United Railroads Ga corporation owning
nearly all Of the street railway systems of
| San Francisco), and some 5000 San Fran
| cisco street railway employees banded in a
labor union; but in its secondary effect 1t
| reaches most Of the capital invested in
street railways in the United States, and
also multitude Of trades unionists.
The Point in Controversy.
The San Francisco car men are seeking
| an increase of wages and a reduction OF
| the hours Of labor, and the matter Is be-
| fore an arbitration commission composed of
| Oscar Straus of New York former United
States minister to Turkey: Patrick Cal
noun OF New York, millionaire. and w. D.
| or the Amalgamated Association of Street
| Railway Employees Of America
| The San Francisco platform men are
| now receiving % cents an hour, and, ex-
| cept1ng the case of Montana where con-
d1t1ons are exceptional, this is the high
| est wage rate in America for street rail-
| way service of the sort performed by
| conductors, gr1pmen and motormen. The
| average per diem of the men, under this
| rate and with the present length of
workday. is SOL and they seek rate
| w ich ynr,16 -fA1l So
| hour day. Thus, in pursuit of a wage
| considerably higher than any now OBJ
| tanning among American carmen, the
San Francisco union is obliged to plead
Tor the basic philosophy Of the most ad-
| vanced trades unionism and against
| comparisons between their wage and the
| wages paid in other cities; whereas the
| corporation opposing them composed of
! capitalists controlling the street railway
| systems of st. Louis, Pittsburg and
| other cities) is strenuously asking the
unqualified law of supply and demand,
| viewing the country as whole.
In Event of Adverse Decision,
What the capitalists fear is, that if the
arbitrators grant an increase of wage
the award will be the signal for a strug-
| gle of carmen's unions throughout the
| land to move on to the new mark thus
| set-the standing Of the men who COM
| pose the commission being such that any
conclusion reached by them will have
| great weight as a precedent
What the labor leaders fear is, that
| should the arbitration commission rule
| that in arbitration proceedings the law
| OF supply and demand should be given
free play, arbitration in the United
States will have received an immense
set back, and the precedent will be in
| dustriously and dangerously cited by the
enemies of un1oniSm whenever and
wherever union men seek to advance
| wages beyond the ruling rates.
| The hearing of evidence in this case was
| In San Francisco. and consumed about
| three months; the argument, which is to
| be heard in the assembly room of the New
| York board of trade, will open tomorrow
| end may run through month, with inter-
| missions. Representative Lvernash who
| has from the beginning conducted the case
| for the union, will argue for the car men;
| A. A. Moore. one of the most brilliant cor
| poratiOn lawyers in the country, will plead
| for the capitalists.
| Importance of the Hearing.
II feel deep interest in the outcome of
this arbitration" said Mr. Livernash just
before leaving Washington, because it
| puts on trial the fundamental principle of
| trades-unionism, and because the makeup
| Of the arbitration commission is certain to
| give to the ruling as to that principle great
| prestige and wide application. The case
| really bears upon every labor union in the
| United States. not solely on the unions OF
| street railway employees, and the able and
| bitter fight made thus far against the San
| Francisco union the firing line proves
| that we are opposed by capital in general
| not solely by the combination of men own
| ing the street railroads of San Francisco
| Pittsburg and ST. Louis.
| 1.-The first question to be passed on by the
| commission goes to the bottom of things
and is as full of interest in Washington as
| in San Francisco. 1t may be stated thus
| What is the right rule for determining
| hot ic fnir do 20 fA-.n f,t, e
| work?
| ut is urged by the embattled capital
| that the arbitration commission should hold
this to be the right rule The employer
| should not be made to pay more for labor
| than the lowest wage he can, anywhere in
| the United States. find men, in or out OF
labor unions. willing to accept.
| 1T is urged by organized labor that the
commission should hold the right rule to be
| as follows: In arbitration proceeding
| Justice in a large sense should be melted
| out, and the employer should be made to
| pay for labor the highest wage compatible
with prosperity Of his business. regard
| being had to the duty of all men to advance
| civilization and to spread light, comfort
| and sweetness.
! "Of course if city which has reached
| exceptionally happy industrial conditions.
| or class of toilers which has struggled out
| of the slough of mtseries must when
| unionism puts aside Its war weapons and
| submits its cause to arbitration, fall to that
| level to which injustice, misfortune, ignor-
| ance or some other black cause has driven
| the mass of cities. then arbitration must be
| abandoned and the war weapons must be
| used. Unionism is world movement
| against the cruelties of the unchecked law
| of supply and demand.
Above Supply and Demand.
"There is higher law than the law of
| supply and demand. Human labor cannot
| justly be bought as capital buys wheat and
pork Soul and heart should be considered,
and the need for general progress. 1t must
have been this view, 1 think. which led
Lincoln to say: Labor is prior to and above
capital, and deserves a much higher con-
| sideration
For myself, I fully agree with James
| Lane Aliens finely expressed thought:
"'When the top decays, as it always does
| in the lapse of time. whence shall come re-
| generation If not from below? 1t is the
| plain people who are the eternal breeding
| grounds of higher destinies
II am for protecting the men at the bot
tom, as condition essential to civilization
and I cannot avoid the conclusion that
| should the arbitration commission in this
| case declare for the woodworking law of
| supply and demand, a heavy blow will have
been struck right principle principle to
which organized labor in every land stands
committed.