The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-01-28

ONLY PANACEA
Re pre- sentatives of
Capital and Labor
In Conference
National Civic Federation n
Hears Condemnation OF
|. W. of W.

New York, Jan 2S-The dominant
note a all of the sessions of the Ma
tionaI Civic Federation at the meet
ing which began, today, at the Hotel
Astors with representatives of capital
and 1abor in attendance, was the pos
sibility of a general tying up OF the
industries of the country through
strikes now threatened and the neces-
sity of some method of compulsory
arbitration being decided on. Incl
dent to the opening session, Seth Low,
President of the Federation called
attention to the fact that the policy
of the A. F. of L. is constructive
and then criticised the Socialists for
their opposition to federation meth
DDS.
Low declared that the Industrial
Workers of the World favor strikes
wage system Their methods, he said,
were revolutionary. He declared that
industrial unioniem as taught by the
l. w w. lis wilfu1 danger toi work
Low demanded that the Massachu-
setts authorities Immediately push the
prosecution of william NJ Wood, in
6Iicted for conspiracy to plant dyna-
mite during the awrences strike. He
referred to the Indianapolis conVic-
tions and then said:
Enough mischief has. already been
done at Lawrence without adding to
the harm already done the infinite
mischief of allowing laboring men to
believe that there is one law for the
labor union man who transports dyn-
arnite Illegally and another law for
the President Of the American Wool
en- Company when he acts Illegally.
The common wealth of. Massachusetts,
owe it to their fellow citizens of ev-
cry state to prosecute to conclusion
the indictment of the president OF the
American Wooden Company at the
ca rIieSt DOsSfble dav''
Low explained that he did not ass
sumo Wood guilty but was merely
urging that trial on the Indictment be
speedy.
He praised President Lynch OF the
International typographical Union for.
:'I1ol ding his Chicago members to their
contracts and preventing a. general
strike on the Chicago newspapers. Low
opposed competition in public utilities
because he declared it interfered with
efficiency He declared, however, that
if the management of public utility
corporations did not give the highest
class of service public ownership was
the remedy certain to result. He ad-
vocated better federal control of In
terstate corporations declaring that
nowhere else in the world is the prf-
Vate business in such chaos as here in
the United State must control the
corporations which do Interstate busf-
federal license or by substituting ma
tional for state incorporation. favor
a federal license In private business
as in public utilities you may follow
either of two, plans. you may preserve
conpletition Sor you may permit mo-
The business of breaking up
com mbinations and leaving the property
as far as possible in the ownership of
the same stockholders is merely play
ing with the situation. Personally, I
favor an Interstate trade commission
to have such an oversight over big
business as the interstate commerce
commission now has over the rail-
roads. 1t could enforce the Sherman
law and in a few months the business
of the country will be relieved of the
ed''
Low declared he believed the peo-
pie would be willing to pay higher
freight rates and enable the railroads
to increase the wages of their em-
ployes and highly praised the Erdman
Act and arbitration plans in general.
Marcus M. Marks, chairman of the
Industrial Mediation Department, took
up discussion Of the question of in
dustrial mediation laws making an ap-
peal for concerted action to secure
legislation everywhere which would
prevent strikes.