Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-27
Council Bluffs
ARBITRATION, The SOLUTION
DR.. o. o. Smith Delivers Sermon Pred
icated Upon Strike.
RIGHTS OF PUBLIC INVOLVED
Men, Whose Passions Are InRamed
BY strife DO Not Have So Clear
a Vision A. q Third
Party.

That arbitration il the sole panacea for
labor troubles like the present street car
strike is the opinion of Rev. Otterbein
o.. Smith, D.. D., pastor Of the First Con-
RreRatLOnal church, who took the contro-
versy between the street railway company
and its employees as the subject Of his
sermon last evening. The announcement
that Dr. Smith would speak on the street
car strike brought out a large congrega-
zion, among them many members Of other
thurohes.
he introduced his theme by saying there
were many IN both cities who sympathized
with both sides, and some were broad
minded enough to see that each party
had reasons for the position they main
tained; but in the last analysis the larger
number sympathized with the larger pub
lie which was losing thousands of dollars
and suffering great inconvenience, and this
he regarded as a most hopeful sign, for
neither the corporation or the labor union
would ever be able to solve this question
and put an end to strikes and lockouts. As
an evidence of what the suffering public
can do when it's awakes, he cited the
changed attitude Of railroad m~agnates as
20 government control as a result of rate
legislation In the various states.
He then traced briefly and strikingly the
ubNElODIltuN VI Oul NdbA commerce. dllu
showed how impossible it was to carry on
the great enterprises which our m
demanded without organizing great
machines that must run by certain rules,
and k~because human beings must form the
partA Of this vast machine, with their
hopes, aspirations, desires and individual
ity, such a machine would In time accum-
.ulate a certain amount OF friction in the
WAY OF complaints of unjust treatment.
many of which would be just and should
have consideration. When these differ
ences came to the breaking point II would
be human nature only for the head of the
corporation to protect his machine. and It
would be just as human for the men to
contend for their rights.
Loss From Strikes.
He then recited the appalling loss OF
property and the loss of time by the men,
and often the little homes they were try
ing to pay for, and last, but not least, the
evil influences of the bitter strife which
were always engendered through a strike
or lockout. He said; IF we could pass
and enforce a law that no man should
ever employ more than twenty men, this
whole question would be solved and strikes
and lockouts would be unknown; but we
<5annot do this, and we do not want to.
There is no desire upon the part Of the
I living man of today to turn back to the
past, but to honestly face and settle the
questions before him"
Because of the facts stated above, DR..
Smith then presented what seemed to him
as being the only solution Of this ques-
ton. that is, that In all these contentious
a third party must be called In, for in the
very nature of the case and the conditions
surrounding both the corporation and the
men, neither side could surrender the po-
sition taken, neither would they, till pres
sure was brought to bear to induce them
20 yield, but now this was never done till
the strife was on and bad blood engend-
cred.
In conclusion he pointed out the ndvant-
ages OF national and state boards of arbi-
= %tration, as the only fair solution. and
showed how they would eliminate all this
loss, suffering and III feeling, and in place
of stagnation and distress while these
problems were being solved the wheels Of
would move smoothly on and
peace and good will would reign where now
hatred and evil thoughts fill the air.