The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-05
INDUSTRIAL
PEACE PLEA
Made by Cardinal Gibbons Be-
fore Civic Federation
PAID TRIBUTE TO W0RKMEN
Judge Knapp of United States Commerce
Court Expressed Faith That Gov
ernmcnt Arbitration Will
Be Extedned.
PAID TRIBUTE TO WORKMEN

Washington, D. c., March 5.--Cardina
Gibbons, presiding at the first session Of
a three days conference of the'Nationa
Civic federation to consider industrial
problems, made n plea for industrial
peace. He paid tribute to the workman
and decla4 / the motto of both employer
and employe should be, Labor and cap
ital, one and inseparable, now and for
ever"
'The purpose of our meeting said the
cardinal. SIS to remove, as far as posi-,
BILE. all hostilities and recriminations, all
1 chickering's and misunderstanding be-
tween capital and labor, so that mutual
| love and good will may be inaugurated
between them, and the glorious reign of
business and commercial prosperity may
be confirmed and perpetuated throughout
/ the land"
Capital and labor the cardinal de-
! clared were "the invineible arms of in
dustrial activity" and should work in
/ harmony for the common good. He said
! a halo had been shed around the work
1 man ever since Christ handled the tools
! of an artisan in the carpenters shop in
/ Nazareth
IF the profession Of soldier has been
ennobled by the example of Wash
/ ington.' he continued, "if the profession
of iurist has been ennobled by a
Marshall if the profession Of a states
man has been ennobled by a Webster
or a Burke, surely the calling of me-
chanic has been dgnifed and sanctiiied
by the example of Christ"
TIL. ,.roIa+a Jpvatt tvy,a, thn 1npaT aY,nn
of capital upon labor. and declared there
was az close an interdepende between
the members Of the social body as exist
ed between the members of the physical
body. Without labor to work its mines,
till its soil and accomplish the multi
farious tasks of human activity, the car
dinal said, capital would be unproduc.
tive.
But If capital can accomplish little
without labor" he said, "labor can ae-
eomplish still less without capital. II is
capital Joined with indomitable enter
prise that has opened up the resources
OF our country, has developed our mines
and built our railroads, giving employ.
ment to millions OF laborers. 1t is cap
iial that has constructed those mighty
leviathan steamships which cross tho
ocean. uniting continents in friendly in
tercourse."
In closing, Cardinal Gibbons expressed
the hope that capitalist and workingman
would work in harmony and strive for an
era OF complete industrial peace
Judge Knapp Prophesies Government
Arbitration.
Extolling federal arbitration of dis
pues between the railroads and their
employees, presiding Judge Martin 4.
Knapp Of the United States commerce
court prophesied that such government
arbitration eventually would be extend
ed to include other forms of business
where trouble affecting the public migh5
arise.
1--WE can be certain, for the tendency is
unmstakable,s he said that more and
more will the influence and authority of
the government be extended into bust
ness pursuits which have hitherto been
conducted as purely private enterprises.
Broadly spea king there are already three
parties concerned in every labor dispute,
the employer, the employe and the pub
lie. Unquestionably the relative interest
of the public in these contentious will
increase, and some plan must be devised
to protect that interest without injus.
tice to either of 4he other parties con
cerned."
Judge Knapp testified to the excellence
OF the results derived from that section
of the Eriman law which provided for
federal mediation in disputes between in
terstate carriers and their employees
when the public welfare was threatened.
Such authority is reposed in the chair
man Of the interstate commerce commits
sion and the commissioner of labor, who,
if their efforts at Cancellation fail, NAV
then press arbitration on the warning
elements.
'The arbitration features of the law
are undoubtedly useful however infre
quently brought into play" he said, but
the scheme of mediation has been dis
tinct success It has been utilized in
numerous cases during the past six years
and in no instance vet has a strike fol- !
lowed the Intervention of the mediators. |
The law may therefore be regarded as
at least a promising and suggestive in
novation."
Labor unions were endorsed by Judge l
Knapp. who saw in them the natural /
outgrowth of business and commercial /
conditions. Less than eighty years ago. /
he said, there was seldom to be found I
more than a few score employees under |
one employer This furnished the per I
sonal contact necessary TO harmonious /
cooperation. He pointed out that to-
day, with concentration of industry, so |
that thousands and tens of thousands I
were under one directing head. the per-
sonal element was missing and the eX-
istence of union was necessary.
Returning to the question OF federal
interference in labor disputes, Judge
Knapp declared these could not be adj
Indicated properly in the regular courts
of law
"A lawsuit does not look forward"
he said. "it usually looks backward. 1t
concerns something that has already
happened. some transaction or occurrence
in dispute which the courts are called
upon to settle. That is what courts Of
Justice are provided for, and they are
entirely suited to that purpose.
"But a labor controversy does not or
dinarilv relate to what has happened;
it relates. rather. to what is going to
happen. 1t looks TO The future, to the
wages to be paid, to the hours of labor
to be required, to the conditions of sery-