Evening journal., 1908-07-22
THE PLIGHT OF CHESTER.

HE Chester strike situation illustrates two
- ideas worked out to an extreme conclu-
sion. The common notion has been that the
owner OF a property can do with his property as
he pleases. And this notion has applied to pri-
vate property of all kinds to the little factory or
business as well as TO t~re public service cor
poration which has intimate relations with the
public. II is their own and they can do with it
as they like, is the popular notion, and in Penn
syvania, so lar as we know, it seems to be the
legal right
The other idea is that men do not have to work
unless they wsh-of course fundamental right
-and that men need not patronze this or that
concern unless they ws,I to do So and that they
induce others to follow their example-prac-
tcally a boycott.
No one, one year ago. would have asserted
with any degree of confidence that practically an
entire city could be induced TO place an effective
boycott upon any one corporation On the other
hand, no one, we fancy, would have ventured to
predict that trolley company would wage so
long and so persistent fight as the Chester troll
ley company has waged.
In labor troubles usually the parties involved
listen to reason and seek an adjustment before
they reach a stage such as has been reached in
Chester. Influential men, if disinterested, in
nine cases out of ten can, through their good ad-
vice publc-spirited citizens, bring about an
adjustment OF the trouble but the efforts OF lead
ing citizens of Chester have been without result
The trolley company with long but we should
fancy somewhat shattered purse. is holding out,
and the mass OF the people of Chester seem to
be set in their boycott, so that the industrial
deadlock and tie-up of the city continues
1t is, indeed. most remarkable situation The
chief sufferers are those who have not been di.
rectly concerned in the conflict between the COM
pany and its former employees. And if the Ches-
ter people and the lawmakers of PENNSYLVANIA
do not lear. ite lesson of The strike such les
So: could not be pounded ITO them even were il
revealed by angels. The lesson Is that in a con-
cltion where the social nteres. of the people is
paramount, as in public service corporations, the
corporations that are likely ito be involved in
such contests and the men employed by them
should be subjected to the supervision of pub
lie utilities commission.
How much better it would have been had such
commission, composed of fair-minded men,
taken hold of the Chester situation when it be-
came serious, and worked out solution which
would not have been hard on the employees and
would not have damaged the dignity or prestige
OF the officers of the company
The questions involved could easilv and hon
orably have been arbitrated on the ground that
rs the city granted a monopolistic franchise to
the company, it is concerned in the adjustment
OF differences.
Doubtless the good services of such commits
sion, had it existed, would have been gladly well
coined by the company as we'll as by the men.
and such services most surely would have been
welcomed by the distressed residents of Chester.
who have been afflicted with intoerable condi-
tions for the last few months
A public utilities commission would have
saved the Chester people, the trolley COMPANY
and the men from the plight in which all have
been placed.
The company will probably win a victory in
cost ''1'