Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-28
I,EARNING
SENATOR HANNA's VIEWS AS
HEAD OF CIVIC FEDERATION.
Regards the Work Of the Anthracite
Coal Strike Commission as Promoter
Of Industrial Stability.

| of Cancellation of the American Civic Fed
Grafton in an interview with special cor
| respondent Of the New York Herald In
| Cleveland has given his views on the re-
cent report of the anthracite coal strike
commission and the effect upon the rela-
lions of capital and labor of President
Roosevelts conciliatory efforts.
II will say" remarked Senator Hanna
| chat am greatly pleased with the work
Of the coal strike commission. It has been
| very we'll done. It Is a big thing. It can
not be belittled on its bearing on the fu-
ture. I hope that the report will lead to
| the adoption Of a plan for permanent peace
| in the coal regions. Credit Is due the Pres
| ident, to ]. P. Morgan and to others who
brought about the final yielding Of the ope-
| rators and miners on a common basis"
| do you understand that the operators
are entirely satisfed?' the senator was
| asked
'"They are going to accept the report Of
the commission. and they are behaving
very well indeed was the answer.
"Are the miners satisfied"'
They ought to be. and even IL they are
not entirely satisfied they will abide by the
verdict. John Mitchell is acting splendidly.
There Is q man the size OF whose head no
success will ever change.
Demand for Settlement Of Grievances.
What do the signs Of the times fore
shadow as bearing on the great question
Of conciliation and arbitration between
labor and capital, which has been given
such an impetus by your federation and
been illustrated by such great object les
son as the coal striker Senator Hanna
was asked.
TT is difficult to predict with exactness
on this subject" was the quick reply.
There Is a great movement in the ranks
Of labor for settlement of grievances, a re-
arrangement of wages and an adjustment
Of regulations. At the present moment the
| Civic Federation Is bending all it's energies
| to bring about the anicable settlement OF
several great disputes. One Is caused by
the demands of the 'longshoremen of Amer
| lea, which includes the stevedores, freight
handlers. etc, on all the wharves and docks
| of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and the
great lakes. They are in session here to.
day, and have been in touch with their
officers very frequently There will be no
| trouble with them. Sc
Another is caused BY, the demands of
practically all Of the organized employees Of
railroad
There is still another threatened by the
structural iron workers of America. This
last organization includes the men who put
together all the iron bridges in the country
and erect the iron work Of the gigantic sky
scrapers in the large Cities. They are meet.
ing in Buffalo, and II a strike cannot be
prevented the. consequences will be very
serious and far reaching. Other disputes
are just being brought to the front or are
in process Of adjustment all over the coun-
try. tr.--..o,.
Usual Season for, Demands. r
s'Now, do not think that this agitation
on the part of organized labor has been fer
mented by the influences which have been
felt nfavor of arbitration and Cancellation
They are coming now because this is the
season Of the year when wage scales are
| into for
the next twelve months, so that while those
who are hostile to any adjustment Of rela-
tons between labor and capital might say
that the agitation has been aided by the
work of the coal strike commission 1 do
not think that position can be maintained"
Then you do not think the influence of
the Civic Federation and the coal arbitra-
ton with the President back Of it have
made labor more arrogant in its demands p
mo. do not think that the effect will be
to make labor more arrogant. I think the
ingmen realize that they may at least have
found a channel for getting rational treat
ment and their just rights without strik-
ing"
A Better Way:
"a few years ago the only idea labor
leader had about getting concessions from
the employer was to strike. and the employ
er to retaliate by lockout. Both sides
were undoubtedly to blame. But reason Is
ment and distrust. think what has hap
pened In the way Of Cancellation In the last
year Will have tendency to make en-
ployers Of labor feel shat there Is better
way out than ignoring the men and defying
them to do their worst. When the principle
of give and take comes to be generally rec
ognlzed strikes will be very rare and in
dustria1 peace will generally prevail"
| But 1t Is declared that the effect of your
reservation and the coal strike arbitration
VIII De TO embolden union labor and make
IL 1eel capital Is afraid of it and that po-
Htical leaders must bow to capital"
That might be true if we were living in
the age or unreason. But we are not You
must give the American workman credit
Ior having some common sense. just as you
must give the American employer credit for
Sagaclty enough to see better way If it is
laid before MIN.
Arbitration Coming Into Favor.
What is rapidly coming to pass Is a
realization on thepart of the laboring men
tnat arnitration Is good thing. There
snouid pc confidential relations between
:. labor and capital. There must be feel
Ing OF trust between each other. The side
tnat asks too much or gives not enough
. Will lose public support, and the time is
rapidly coming when the side that loses
puDifc support loses its cause.
LABOR can easily ask too much and
aaopt an attitude that will wreck the OBJ
1ecf Tor which we are. striving. It can ask
more than its share.s When it does and
insists on 1t, then laboyg loses and it's in
teregss go backward bat
When these Labor leaders come to me
say to them, Do not ask too much. Wages
are higher than they ever were In this
country t,y before It y,be true that prices
wages by arbitrary demands the further
you cut Into the pfSg Of the manpfae
could snI.i.l not expect te 1--we; It may hasten
come sooner or later and the higher you
get the greater Is ,GeiDg to be the drop
when that comes
+ DO you find that real Roadway is being
made In bringing aboastLthis disposition to
settle amtcably?" r.
Yes. we are makipg, great progress. We
are making It with both the employers and
! the Worktngmen. You would be surprised
to know the names of some of the capital
lists who have Joined the Civic Federation.
When we asked them TO go into this move
nent year ago they laughed US to scorn.
Now they are pledged to the principles OF
concfiation between labor and capital and
they are willing to abide by them
Great Results Accomplished.