The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-03-25
IMMEDIATE ACTION
TO AVERT STRIKES
CoNGRESS URGED TO TAKE ARB
TRATIoN LAW UP AT THE
EXTRA SESSION.

new YORK, March 25.-Urging i'm
mediate action by Congress to pro
tect the country from a railway strik,
which would "paralyze commerce anf
bring hunger and misery to millions.
the Railway BUSINESS Association, the
national organization of manufacturers
OF railway equipment, material and
supplies, has issued bulletin entitled
The National Menace of Railway
Strikes" which advocates the strength
enlng at the extra session of the fed
eral arbitration machinery.
More Demands Pending.
The Eastern conductors and train.
men, it is pointed out, will press de.
mands following the conclusion of the
firemen's case. THE Erdman Act
through which until recently strikes
causing interruption to train service
have been almost wholly prevented.
has all but broken down at the point
where, mediation failing, arbitration
was attempted in the large-scale dis
pute involving many roads at once"
The Act should be amended forthwith
or legislation substituted for it pro-
vidng form of voluntary arbitration
so little open to valid objection as to
deprive disputants of all reasonable
excuse for declining arbitration under
the law. To postpone remedial legisla.
ton is to invite widespread and per-
haps national disaster at any moment"
Railway managers, railway employ
ees and the public are urged to GO
operate to obtain legislation which
will place them squarely on the side
OF Industrial peace and public con-
venience."
Cooperation BY All Sides.
President Geo. A. Post says that
though it is well understood that the
scope of matters to be dealt with at
the extra session is to be limited. &C.
ton on this question would do much |
to re-assure business, since Zone acute
cause of business anxiety at this mo-
ment Is the fear that arbitration may
break down and plunge large areas
and perhaps the whole country into
the chaos and disaster of a strike"
Defects of Erdman Act.
Defects of the Erdman Act are emu
merated, such as the inadequacy of
three as the number of arbitrator, the
shortness Of 80 days as the time for
the investigation, the unfitness for
his purpose of statistics now avail
able, the restriction of scope to those
railway employees engaged in train
service, and certain features as to
nediators.
THE burden of mediation" it is I
'emarked, already heavy, will in !
'rease as time goes on, especially if
he Act is extended to include all E
lasses of railway employees. The
machinery of mediation should there.
ore be made adequate to the enlarg- /
ng demands upon it.
only a few federal officers are ex- |
fhcio eligible as mediators. The I
Mediator has the function of appoint v
ng neutral arbitrator. There would :
ways be the temptation, in one quar-
er or another, when a vacancy arose
he occupant of which is eligible as
lediator, to urge candidates primarily
ecause of their supposed predisposi-
ion in labor disputes. Nor is there
ny assurance that future incumbents,
owever competent in the offices des-
snated in the statute, will by tenn
erament and training be qualified for
he extremely difficult work of media
ION. Eligibility to appointment as a
lediator having the function of ap-
ointing neutral arbitrator should be
lade to depend as completely as pos.
lble upon personality and experience
u the specific function of mediation.
Appeal to President and Congress.
ITO save all the people from the
aste and the misery of strikes is so
Imperative that it would seem that
lie President and the leaders in Con-
ress might well include in their legis-
tive program for the forthcoming
itra session consideration of appro-
late measures for the strengthening
Id improvement of the machinery
r arbitration in railway labor con.