United labor bulletin. (Denver, Colo.) 19??-1915, 1910-03-04
(By c. A. IRWlN.)

10Y u - iHWfi$-V
The strike of the employees OF the
Rapid Transit company of Philadelphia
will not have occurred in vain If it serves
In any considerable degree to emphasize
the iniquities of American law regulating
the relation of employers and employees
ON Saturday. the 5th of March, II not
sooner. a general strike of more than
100. 900 members will be called. in order
to compel the Transit company to arbi-
trate the differences between them and
their men. Mayor Reyburn is not only
stockholder in the Transit company
but is a compliant political tool OF the
street car company and the allied corpo-
ratIons which. in Pennsylvania, nave
long had their heel upon the neck OF pros
trate labor. The car men are using every
effort to honorably compel the company
to submit their differences TO arbitration
The Transit company is using every
means in its power. both fair and foul,
to break the strike.
When the strike was iirst called, union
men rendered their services for the op-
Grafton of mail and newspaper cars, as
was done in the last street car strike IN
Philadelphia. The company has persist
entity refused to allow union men TO con
tinue to operate mail cars and has forced
them from the mai cars by summary
discharges 1t Will be observed. there
fore. that Interference With the operation
of the mail came from the company and
not from the strikers. This interference
was carefully wfounht uP hy the Transit
company to furnish an excuse TO cali
upon President Taft to send federal sol
diers to protect the mail and TO oyeruwe
sympathizors with the striking car men.
The attitude OF the company Is well
Illustrated by a remark made boy Mayor
Reyburn Tuesday. In reported inter
view. He said. The arguments put
forth for arbitration make me weary.
Their effect Is TO hoodWink the men. Let
the men and the company settle their
own differences" The mayors idea OF
letting the men and the company dom
mate and control the men In every par
ticular. thereby. to compel them 10 re-
turn to work on the company's terms or
to give way to cheaper and unorEanized
labor.
II is ridiculous to talk about the men
individually settling their differences
with great corporation like the Rapid
Transit company OF philadelphia The
company is an aggregation of more than
siOO. coo. 900 The association of many
people was necessary to secure suiii-
Client amount of capital TO build and op-I
crate a street car system in a great city.
lust as the association of many people is
required to secure suiiicient capital to-
operate any OF the large industrial plants
which have resulted from the modern in
vention of machinery.
The mechanical inventions of the nine-
teenth century have brought about large
combinations of capital and large asso-
Citations OF capitalists FOR the operation
of modern industry Nowadays. but a
small portion OF Industrial iaborers are
employed by individual employers. Near
~ all workingmen are in the employ of
great corporations. The car men OF
Philadelphia, for instance, are dealing
with gigantic corporation which EN-
ploys thousands of men. II Is nonsense
to talk as Mayor Reyburn does about
letting the men and tho company settle
their own differences. II Is Idle for an
individual workman to deal personally
with the Rapid Transit company of Phil
adclphia Imagine, II YOU can. one lone
conductor or motorman going to the
manager of the Transit company to get
"A hearing upon the question whether or
not his wages should be increased or his
hours shortened or the conditions of his
work rendered more safe and sanitary.
The proposition needs no argument.
There can be no individual action by the
car men. The logic of the situation com
pels them to organize, II they would be
ought else than industrial slaves. The
organization of capital is sufficient reason
for the organization of labor. Only or
ganized workingmen can deal upon terms
of equality with organized employers.
The refusal of the street car company
to recognize organized labor and the re-
fusal to arbitrate. involves n denial of
industrial freedom. The action of the
company is based upon theory of labor,
which is inconsistent with industrial lib
erty. The law OF self-preservation re-
auires laborers to organize and to treat
their employers only through such organ
izntion.
Another lesson to be CLEANED from the
situation in Philadelphia is that II work
ingmen expect TO secure their rights
they must obtain laws making arbitra-
tion compulsory upon employing corpo-
rations. The striking car men have been
willing and anxious at all times to fairly
and Justly arbitrate their grievances
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