East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-02-22
WHY ARBITRATION FAILS.


Most people know that boards of
arbitration for the settlement of dis
putes between labor and capital do
not accomplish the results for which
they are created, but few know why
they fail, Frederick Palmer makes
the point clear in his article in the
March number of Hamptons, when
he tells of the efforts of the Ohio
state board of arbitration to settle the
strike of the street car men at Co
lumbus last summer. The street car
men had agreed to refrain from call
ing a strike on the promise from the
chamber of commerce that tsey
should have a square deal if they
would lay the entire matter before
the state board. II would seem at
first glance that their decision was
wise one, says Mr.. Palmer, in view of
the change in the personnel of the
board, which Governor Judson Har-
mon automatically facilitated.
Judge Noah II. Swayne, the con-
servative member, resigned and in
his place was appointed as represen-
tative of the employers side Alfred
II. Sparks, manager of the James
Leffert Waterwheel company, of To-
ledo, who believes in union labor. The
second member was Joseph Bishop, a
friend of labor, and the third, the
Rev. Theodore Irving Reese.
Here was the very crisis for which
such a board was created. But the
law had given it only power to sum-
mon witnesses ETAOIN ETAOIN EFT
ETAOIN EAOIN EAOIN were diligent
listeners and probers. They got every
possible witness and heard him ques-
| toned and cross-questoned by the
| lawyers of both sides. The newspa-
pers kept the public appetite sharp
| for more details Meanwhile the
chamber of commerce was winning It's
! point. 1t had gained the delay it
| desired. There was full street car
service for the industrial exposition.
"In proof of arbital industry are
no less than 215S typewriter pages
of evidence which show that not a
single non-union man had been oIs-
charged since May 2nd. Two union
men had been discharged for Knock
ing down fares, five for fights with
| non-union men, two for vile language,
and two for negligence which caused
rear-end collisions. In seven of the
twelve cases the board found that
there was not just cause for discharge
and in two cases no opinion was Civ
en-.
"As the examination drew to a
close, the union offered to accept as
binding any verdict of the board. B IT
Manager Stewart of the Railway and
Light company declared that this
was simply another proposition from
! the union as such to get recognition.
| The various delays since April had
! given him opportunity to prepare full
| ly for resistance to the final and de-
cisve strike which he considered in
evitable He was ready for the big
| struggle for the open shop principle.
He said that he would not even sub
nit to the president of the United
States as arbitor-a remark that
sank into the public mind
On July 23d the board delivered its
findings. In addition to those already
given it concluded that, so far as
discrimination was concerned, the in
| spectors and foremen of the Railway
& Light company were more friendly
to non-union men than to union men.
| Moreover, in the interests of all con-
cerned it was hoped that both par
ties to the dispute would settle their
differences by peaceful means"
The city smiled in satire, for it knew
that without the power to enforce
this decision the board was power
less.