Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-06
TO END LABOR FIGHTS
BISHOP SPALDING URGES PLAN
OF THE TOSS BILL.
Does Not Believe Any Class Of Ameri-
can Employers Deliberately
Wrong Their Men.

Bishop Spalding of Peoria, a member
of the anthracite coal commission, today
| urged the plan of arbitration contained In
the Foss bill before the House committee
on labor. The bill provides for a perma-
nent board of arbitration to which shall be
referred disputes between labor and capt.
tai.
Volney w. Foster briefly finished his re-
marks on the bill begun at the last hearing
on the bill Mr. Foster took President
Gompers of the Federation of Labor to
task for opposing the bill. He quoted Mr..
GOmpers favoring arbitration in speech
before the Civic Federation in New York
in December, 1901, and then referred to
Mr.. GOmpers' statement before the COM
mittee at the last meeting to the effect that
strikes good thing"
John Mitchell, of the coal miners organi-
cation, and James Duncan. first vice presl-
dent of the American Federation, were
quoted in favor of arbitration in their pub
lie utterances. The later statement of Mr.
Gompers and also of Daniel Davenport
representing the Anu-boycott Association
in favor of strikes and lockouts. Mr.. Foster
believed. were inspired in the first instance
by the personal interests of the gentlemen
making them.
Function of Proposed Tribunal.
Answering questions by Acting Chairman
Vreeland, Bishop Spalding said it was now
his opinion tina. the proposed tribunal would
never be called upon to determine the ques-
ton of what is a legitimate profit on the
investment of capital. Its province would
be to settle disputes as to hours, treat
ment and pay of employees by the en-
ployer. A fair wage, he said. was deter
mined in the soft coal mines of the west
by the condition in the mines and the cost
of living. Where business did not permit
of living wage according to the American
standard of living. that business ought to
close up, declared the bishop.
Il would say he continued ''as Sherman
said of war that the strike is hell" Men
who had been out on strike went back to
work injured morally, and not the same
men. The children of strikers had been
taught to taunt children of other work.
men, The condition between capital and
labor was not improving, he said, although
he believed the anthracite coal strike COM
mission had accomplished good results. He
referred to the present labor troubles in
Colorado, San Francisco and Chicago
These conditions were blocks to lettering
the general conditions of the country.
1t was becoming more and more manifest
that capital and labor were interdependent
on each other
Asked If he did not think that conditions
were improving as to llwlessness Bishop
Spaldng said that it did not seem so to any
extent. He admitted that the riotous con-
ditions during the anthracite strike We're
not so bad in this respect the news
papers had made them. although there was
ricketing and always would be violence in
strikes.
Character of Employers.
Il don't think there is in America any
class IF employers who deliberately do their
men wrong declared Bishop Spalding.
The bishop said he believed the American
PEOPLE to be a people of good viii toward
labor and the distressed. He believed the
people free from anarchistic ideas and as
serted that the tendency to socialism is
only in IL minor way. He regarded a per-
manent tribunal of greater value than one
created for each case of dispute.
He did not believe, he said. in sympathetic
strikes. the strike, he replied. when asked
if he would deny labor organizations the
right to strike, was the one weapon of labor
organizations and to deny that right would
be TO deny the right to organize, but the
great object sought. he added. is to bring
about peaceful settlements without strikes.
Labor Crganzati ons, he said. had accom-
plished much good He is satisfied that
any President would appoint a nonpart:sa
tribunal He had asked Mr. Mitchell If la
Dor organizations would thrive If they lost
The approval of public opinion and Mitchell
replied that they would not, but would dis
integrate.