New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-14
OBEY THE LAW.

trated in the way the law provides.
1t would he well for the railroads 4"
accept the legal method of arbitration
lest they he held responsible by the
public for the disaster 10 the country
that strike would cause. The Erd-
man act may not he perfect We
might wish. with the railroads. that il
provided for more than three arbitra-
tors. But il is the law. 1t has been
on the statute books several years and
its operation has given enormous salts
faction to the country. Grave disputes.
even as grave as this one. have been
settled under it.
Had the railroads had any really seri-
Gus reason to object TO the smallness
of the commission for which the Erd-
man act provides they might have pro-
cured its amendment But the law has
been left as it was. II supplies tie
legal system for protecting the public
from the consequences OF such dis
pute ms the one which has now reached
critical point between the railroads
and their iiremen. Because there
might be a better one is an insufficient
excuse for declining to make use 81
the system that exists. when the conse-
quence of such a refusal would be a
paralysis of industry and commerce in
half the country and an interruption
Of the food supply of the big Eastern
cities
The firemeu have the law on Their
side. That will be an enormous rae
tor in their favor with the public that
would suffer from the losses and in
convcniences of strike. They have
done all that the law Of the country
asks them 10 do 10 save the pubic
from the consequences of an indus
trial battle. They have asked for me
diation by the federal authorities. Ihey
are willing to abide by an arbitration
such as the federal law provides III
cose of disnutes ike this. That * an
unimpeachable attitude
The railroads cannot afford To as
sumo an attitude which. i'll COMPARE
son. is lawless. They cannot afford TO
90 before The public and say: Z
were not willing to abide by the law
which you have made for the settle
'ment of such controversies as TINS
while orr employees were willing.
They say that the public is not SUI
ticiently represented on a board Of ar
bitration constituted under the Erd-
man act. That is the publics AFFAIR
When it made thar law it said that u.
would be content with one representa-
tive to one representative each for The
railroads and their workers
Aside from their unwillingness ="
abide by the law for the arbitration
Of disputes between their workers anu
themselves the attitude OF the rali-
roads has been correct. II has been
conciliatorv It has shown regard
for the public. We believe that the
railroads are honestly desrous 81
avoiding strike And for that reason
we urge upon them with al the more
emphasis the necessity Of abandoning
their opposition TO the legal method 81
settling this dispute.
If arbitration under the Erdman act
should 20 heavily against them they
would be in all the better position 10
ask that freight rates be increased 10
enable them 10 pay the increase IN
wages. because of what they would
have done TO save the public from Il
strike. If wages were greatly in
creased the public would have to bear
the responsibility. for the thing would
be done 10 save The public from loss
through a strike. and done in accord
ance with the law that the public has
made. And rates ought TO be raised
IN 1,a fY,t,f.l in.raagnH