Evening star., 1905-11-03
FAVOR ARB|T RAT| \
People Of Washington Inter-
ested in Movement
FOR INDUSTRIAL PEA CE
PERMANENT ASSOCIATION TO BE
FORMED IN THIS CITY.
Meeting Held at G. A. r. Hall Last
Night-Addresses by Promi-
nent Citizens.
FOR INDUSTRIAL PEA CE

dustrial peace probably will be the outcome
OF meeting held last evening at G.. A. r.
Hall. 1412 Pennsylvania avenue BY res
olution unanimously adopted Commissioner
Macfarland. who presided, was instructed
to appoint committee of twelve or fifteen
representative citizens who will carefully
and conscientiousy examine into every
phase of the question of industrial peace
giving equal consideration to the rights of
the employer as we'll as those of the en-
ploye; then to prepare plans and proceed
with the organization of an association
whose object shall be the promotion of in
dustrial peace"
In addition to the address of Commis-
siOner Macfarland, speeches were made by
President Needham of George Washington
University, Rabbi Simon, Conrad Syme and
Simon Wolf. The resolution which de-
termined the sense of the meeting was Of
fered by Mr.. Cuno H. Rudolph.
From the various speeches, the impress
sion was clearly made that strikes and
lockouts are a very poor way of settling
disputes between employer and employe. 1t
was declared that the public-the muchly
abused pubfc-was the loser by all these
alterations, and that the public should now
assert itself and devise means of
peaceful arbitration. The meeting was well
attended, and many of the most prominent
citizens of this city We're numbered in the
audience.
Commissioner Macfarland in calling the
meeting to order said Il believe in the
principle of labor unions, just as l believe
in the principle of employers unions. All
Americans have an unquestionable right to
organize associations for the protection of
their interests. AS to the relations be-
tween labor and capital, | subscribe abSo-
lutely to the doctrines OF President Roose-
velt In that spirit in the hope that in
their own interest and in that of the entire
community, so dependent upon both they
may be brought closer together, 1 am here
to listen TO what may be said looking TO
permanent peace through justice, instead of
occasional wars. 1t is hoped that this meet
ing may do something to increase the use
of reason instead of brute force and the
employment OF conciliaton and arbitration
instead of strikes and lock-outs, by show
ing employers and employees that their in
terests are really mutual, that cooperation
is profitable for both, and that as men they
are naturally brothers and not enemies.
All OF US suffer, as in the coal strike pe-
riod, when they are at war, and we have
right in the common interest and for the
common good to say to them Let us have
peace
Mr. Conrad Syme reviewed the develop
ment of the idea of arbitration and pre-
dicted the ultimate abolition of strikes and
lock-outs.
Mr.. Syme said in part: Industrial peace
by arbitration must, finally, come as the
result of law. and the law will come as
a result of the public sentiment awakened
to it's necessity" He traced the develop
ment of the courts of justice from the
earliest IllllSS, anu showed lIldl d court was
finally only an arbitrator appointed by law.
and whose decisions and judgments are en-
forced by law. That the reason for courts
was that the peace ana welfare of the COM
munity at large. the security of property
and personal liberty, are so much greater
than any disputes between individuals that
men Were not permitted to take the settle
ment of rights or wrongs into their own
hands. but are compelled to adjust them
according to the forms and procedures of
law.
Applying the same principle to nations
he also traced the growth of international
law, and said that it was no Utopian dream.
or fanciful vision, that in the not
distant future the peace and welfare of the
whole civilized world would be considered
in the eyes of all nations so much more
important than any dispute that could arise
between any two nations.
Mr.. Syme spoke of the press and the pull
pit as being the two great moulders of pub
lie sentiment-the press reaching the under
standing Of men, and the pulpit both their
understanding and their hearts.
He was followed by Mr.. Simon Wolf, who
and labor is fast vanishing. Their inter
ests he said. are in every way identical.
Need of Law for Corporations.
zone of the things which need in this
county" said President Needham of George
Washington University. the next speaker.
"is a law governing corporations doing
opposed to corporations. 1 want that dis
tinctly understood; therefore, to make my
self clear, will say this: The only way in
which a person in the United States can
invest S100 in any industrial enterprise Is
by buying a certain number of shares o.
stock. Now, the law should define just
what that stock is worth; what proper
ton of the plant or profits it represents.
AT present we have nothing of this sort,
and the only way in which the holder of
500 worth of stock can secure an answer
the firm, which. not being bound by law,
does not always vouchsafe reply. The
corporations are in this respect the feudal
lords of this country, for, like the feudal
barons of old, who refused to define the
rights of their serfS and yaSSals, they are
not bound by any higher power to define
the interests Of their shareholders. The
wild speculation, the failures, the insur-
ance scandals, etc, are all due to the un-
certain value of securities.
so much for capital. Now for labor
Labor, well as capital, must place it.
self under the law. The time will come
der to be labor body to be recognized,
In short to exist will be obliged to. and
must, have a legal entity and responsible
ity, and until these two things are accom-
plished regards labor and capital there
Will be little hope or chance of bringing
about industrial arbitration
The General Public.
Rabbi Simon. the last speaker. took up the
cause of the general public" He said:
"1f labor and capital have the right to