The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-04-11


After the excellent dinner President
John c. Pegram opened the meeting by
outlining briefly the progress of organiza-
ton since the first dinner discussion a
few months ago, when 1t was more Cf
an aggregation than an organization. Of
ficers have been elected and a constitu-
ton accepted. The membership IS now
about 1S0 ne said. He then dilated upon
the importance OF the subject and In
troduced as the first speaker an eminent
Boston lawyer. who had been chiefly in
terested in the subject from the position
of counsel for the employers. Louis ID.
Bandes ESD OF Boston.a member OF
the law firm OF Brandeis, Dunbar & Nut
ter.
Bandeis felt. he said. that some ex-
planation of his position in the matter
should be made. for he was neither of
the class employers or employees.
while / have been employed. as your
president has said as counsel for the en-
poyers, l have also been engaged as
counsel for the various unions I'm the
little wars and contests between the vari-
Gus unions. In this way, you see. ! am
able TO speak from first hand knowledge
OF both sides OF the subject"
ON INDUSTRIAL LIBERTY.
Mr.. Brandes said in part:
I'VE have come together 10 help one
another to determine what the relation OF
employers 10 trade unions should be. As
the first step in that inquiry. we must
decide what relations are desirable be-
tween employers and employees generally;
and on that question there can be little
difference OF opinion. The relations must
be consistent with industrial prosperity:
and to industrial prosperity there are
IA
erty
Prolonged peace and prosperity can
rest only upon the foundation OF indus
trial liberty.
The right Of labor to organize is rec
| ognized by law and should be fully recog-
| nized by employers.
Employees are entitled TO be represent
ed by union officers How then shall the
| employer deal with the unions repre-
sentative when demand is made to which
| he feels he cannot accede or a contro-
versy has already arisen?
Employers and employees should try 10
| agree. In the most important sense. en-
| ployer and employe are also partners, and
the attempt made I'm a properly conducted
I conference Will generally be successful.
1T Is necessary that the owners or the
| real managers OF the business should
| themselves participate In the conferences
! partly because the labor problem requires
| the best thought available and the most
! delicate treatment and partly because
the employees feel better satisfied and are
| apt to receive better treatment when they
| are dealing with the ultimate authority
and not with an intermediary.
A FALLACIoUS PLEA.
"I.awless or arbitrary claims of organ
lied labor should be resisted at whatever
cost If labor unions are arbitrary or
lawless. Il Is largely because employers
have ANONYMOUSLY submitted to ar
bitrariness or lawlessness as a tenn
porizing policy or under a mistaken be
lief as to their own immediate interests
"You may compromise a matter OF
wages: YOU may compromise n matter OF
hours. If the margin OF profit will permit
No man can say with certainty that his
opinion is the right one on such a ques-
ton
But you may not compromise on aques
tion OF morals, or where there is lawless-
ness or even arbitrartness Industrial
liberty like civil liberty must rest upon
the solid foundation OF law Disregard
the law In either. however good your mo-
tives. and you have anarchy.
The plea OF trades unions for I'm
munity. be It from injunction or from
liability for damages. IL is as fallacious as
the plea OF the lynchers. IL lawless
methods are pursued by trade unions
whether II be by violence. by intimida-
tion or by the more peaceful infringement
OF legal rights. that lawlessness must be
put down at once and at any cost"
AN EXCELLENT SUBSTITUTE.
The president introduced Frank x
Foster in place OF Henry Sterling. and
the latter after contrasting his position
as substitute unfavorably with that .of
John Alden. spoke warmly and enthu-
siastically OF the ability OF the man who
preceded him.
The labor movement. which embraces
the relation OF employer and employee.
cannot be taken out OF the larger I'm
dustriai situation and considered apart.
Every code OF ethics has precisely the
same effect In the labor world. as In any
other place, and no 10 commandments or
one commandment WIFI bear altering
for a.
The hardest lesson the world has "a
learn. and by the world I mean the people
I'm a. for N there were not 50 many people
the world would be better. 7 suppose. is
the old one OF the two sides of the shield.
The point OF view IL the thing that is
hard 10 harmonize and the principal Of
the old legend is the came today.
Much OF the trouble between capital
and labor comes from n lack OF under
standing OF the point OF view OF tho
weave room. OF the shop. the factory. or
the mine. The man on the pinnacle of
opportunity does not see things in the
way OF the man I'm the shadow OF the
valley.
They realized that children should not
be forced TO work in the mills of Ian
cashlre till they dropped from fatigue
and in this revulsion ~ feeling 70 was
decided that women should not continue
10 crawl on hands and knees pushing
cars on the tramway.
Later came trade agreements and still
further concessions as labor rights became
recognized
UNIONS CONSERVATIVE.
+, ,h,s world of English speaking peo-