River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-07-31
WASHINGTON LETTER
FROM JAMES A. FREAR, MEMBER OF
CONGRESS-, 10th DISTRICT

CONGRESS, 10th DISTRICT
WASHINGTON, D. c., July 30, 1918
Before the Spanish-American War
Congress unanimously appropriate
ed fifty million dollars for disburse-
ment by President Mckinley. That
same spirit was manifested few
days ago when all political parties
unanimously upheld the patriotic
efforts of President Wilson to pre-
vent a railway strike involving 3d.
600 employees and untold suffering
through stoppage of traffic. With
out repeating generally known facts
it may be. remembered that the first
voluntary arbitration bill was pass
ed by Congress in 1883 and under
that and Cancellation laws, many
settlements of labor difficulties
have occurred.
The Erdman Act of 1898 provid-
ed for two mediators who selected
third arbiter to settle disputes,
but the tremendous power given to
the board and particularly TO one
man in case of divided board, pre-
vented the railway companies and
the employees concerned in the
present dispute, from submitting
differences to that board. A con-
ference was held by President Will
son and leaders of the two parties
in both Houses of Congress, to
which the railway managers and the
representative of trainmen were
invited, resulting in an agreement
that the present law would be
amended so as to provide among
other things for six arbiters instead
of three. On such changes being
made in the law, the disputants Of
fered to come in under its provi-
sions' and an agreed bill was there
upon passed by both House and
Senate on the same day, without a
dissenting voice and the President
signed it Immediately.
For expedition and unity of pur-
pose nothing surpasses the quick
passage of the Newlands arbitra-
ton act A weak feature of the
law is, that while an agreeme nt can
be made under the law, no means
exists for it's enforcement, so that
honorable dealing between men is
the influence sustaining any agree
ment that may be reached.
The act provides specifically, that
no employee shall be compelled to
render personal labor without his
consent, thus leaving optional the
performance of the agreement. This
whole subject, involving as it does
the settlement of differences be-
tween employer and employee, must
eventually be placed upon a more
substantial basis. Until the en-
ployee is given a point financial in
terest with the employer, either by
cooperation or some other practical
method and until their interests be-
come mutually dependent, instead
of antagonistic, no permanent set
tlemept of such differences will be
had.
This sweeping arbitration act was
was passed by both Houses of Con-
gress, signed by the president and
became a law within few hours of
its introduction. Although neces-
sarily imperfect, it is sure TO better
conditions between capital and la
Dor; conditions which are closely
related to all kinds of business.
On the other hand, the tariff bill
has occupied the continuous atten-
ton of Congress for nearly four
months, and the end is not yet.
Neither are leading Senators agreed
as to its ultimate effect. Senator
Simmons, Chairman of the Finance
Committee, declared in the Senate
that "the present bill is fair in
depreciation of the will of the peo-
pie and an honest compliance with
the pledges of the Democratic par
ty", and further, that it is "a tariff
in the interest of the masses. The
same day Senator Cummins, who
years ago originated an Iowa idea"
of low tariff, gave his views to the
Senate declaring that the Repub-
lican craft went down in the whirl
pool in 1912 andits Democratic sue