The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-30
OF STATE
SEEM TO BE INDIFFERENT
Law Gives the Board the Power
to Take the Initiative in
Labor Disputes. q =;
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i. STATE ARBITRATION BOARD =
Arthur Parsons, Salt Lake,
Chairman.
John Dern, Salt Lake.
Thomas Pancake, Ogden.

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Utah has a estate Board OF Labor,
Cancellation and Arbitration app
pointed by the Governor, but it haS
been conspicuous by its utter indifer|
ence to the pending street car strikd
in Salt Lake. Arthur Parsons. credit
man for the 3. c. M, l., is Chairman Of
the board, but he admitted Monday
that he had never qualified or taken
the oath of Office. Mr.. Parsons said
further that he did not believe, now
the board had any power to interpose
as mediator unless its services in that
capacity shall be asked for by eithet
the company or the striking employees
The State board is created by 4
statute which is based on section OF
article 16 of the State Constitution.
which provides rs follows:
The Legislature shall provide by
law for a board Of labor conciliatio1
and arbitration which shall fairly
represent the interests Of both capital
and labor. The board shall perform
duties and receive compensation az
prescribed by law
Powers Of the Board.
Pursuant to this constitutional rroj
vision, the first Legislature created
such board, to be composed of ont
employer Of labor. one member of q
labor organization, and one person
neither an employer of manual labor
nor an employee in such labor. Ths
board. as at present constituted. is Apnl.
posed Of Arthur Parsons Of Salt Lake
chairman; John Derp of Salt Lake ard
Thomas Pancake Of, Ogden,
One section Of the law provides thai
when labor controversy, arises tht
corporation or individual employing
the men, or a majority of themselves
employees as individuals-msy apply
to the board to act as a mediator, and
that the board shall visit the locality
of the dispute, take the testimony OF
witnesses, etc, and render decision
II is further provided that the ap
plication TO the commission shall CON
tain a promise that there shall b'
neither strike nor lockout, but that busi
ness shall continue until a decision il
rendered, provided ii is rendered with,
in three weeks. The law prescribea
served, and provides for the sum,
moning and swearing of witnesses
also that the decision shall be in writ
ing Tt is further provided that tbI
decision of the board shall be biudini
until one party or the other givcl
ninety days notice in writing that i
will not longer be bound by it.
In the present trouble neither side
has applied to the State board TO ac'
as mediator.
Board May Take Initiative,
There Is provision Of the law
however, which permits the board II
take the initiative IN settling labor
dispute. This provision is as follows'
Whenever it shall come to the
knowledge of the State board that 4
eped in the State, involving auy
employer OF his employees, ii thu
employer is employing not less thar
ten persons, it shall be the duty OF
the State board to put itself into com
munication as soon ss may be witt
such employer and employees, and te
endeavor by mediation TO effect al
amicablc settlement between them, and
endcavor TO persuade them to submit
the matters in dispute to the Statt
board. -
Asked Monday afternoon why tht
board had not acted under the forego
ing proovisiu of the law, Mr.. Parsoni
said:
81 nm frank to say that [ didn'
know tho law contained such a sec
tion, ] was only appointed in March
and haven't qualified yet, | thinI
now, however, that it is too late 70.
us to act under that section. AS !
read the law we can only take thu
initiative before a strike or lockout
actually begins. In this case the med
are on strike, and ] don't think vi
can act unless one or the other partie3
to the trouble makes application II
us, -
Has Been Amended,
Tho statute creating the board Y
embraced within the general chapte!
on labor in the Revised Statutes ol
1895 The Legislature of 1905 passet
an act adding another section TO thii
chapter. as follows:
ANY person or persons IN thus Statf
who shall threaten to destroy property
or do bodily harm, for the PURPOSE
of preventing any person or Persom
from entering or remaining in the eIY
poy Of any company, corporation ol
individual shall be guilty Of misds
meanor.