Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-05-14

thai are not only unacceptable to
| Gnionsm but a positive menace To So
| eiety.
Sound business methods do not seek
To squeeze from the earnings of labor
that which should come from Tie
legitimate and natural earnings of The
industry. At this point | will digress
for the moment, and say word on
| the attitude of the public toward tha
railroads, and of their right To a rea
senable compensation for the services
! they render the public.
1t is not my purpose or desire 10 en-
ter upon discussion of the rate ques-
/ ton, but | Go wish to call attention to
| the fact there is no enterprise in the
! country which is the object of such I'M
reasoning and unreasonable criticism
as is the railroad. In common with
other industries it has found that its
cost of operation has increased by rea-
sun of the demands made upon il by
| the requirements of modern conditions.
| While industries that are not within the
| public service classification may and do
| Increase the price of their commodities
| the railroad is forbidden to increase
! its charges for the oniy thing il has to
| sell-Yiz. transportation. II is out of
| its rates that the road must meet its
! obligations. ii is from that source Ii
must find the money to pay us our
wages. As citizens, apart from our Ca
, pacity as railroad employ ees, we owe
| the duty To the public To demand IL
, fair hearing for the railroads, and that
Ea unjust or undue burdens he placed
/ upon them. At least we can and should
| urge that no artificial and unecenomie
| conditions should be forced upon them
and that they he permitted to develop
| along the normal and reasonable lines
| common to the industry.
That arbitration never effects any
| real settlement, but merely puts off the
| evil day when an issue must be fought
| on its merits, is Il declaration that will
| doubtless surprise most people, espec-
| tally in these days when worlds peace
| foundations are being established for
| the purpose of bringing about inter
| national arbitration. The world for
many years has entertained fairly
high idea of the value of arbitration,
and its possibilities for good in the field
of industrial battle have been believed
| to be almost without limit In fact we
may go a step farther and point to
| the fact that in Massachusetts alone
| for over quarter of a century arbitra
tior and Cancellation have worked much
for industrial peace This new dispen-
sation however holds forth only q
postponed evil day. With all due re-
Spact to our critic | must say that /
| fear he has but little knowledge of ar
bitration or its history, and that he
oonfounds merit with might, and might
With right.
The union of today is here because
its presence was imperatvely demand
ed. Conditions compelled its birth and
festered its growth. 1t is not the pro-
duct of altruism, enthusiasm, politics
or social discomfort, hut of human
and economic necessity. The improve
ment in the working conditions and
compensation of the worker that has
Genre about in recent years are trace
able directly TO sound union activity.
While unionism has reached a high
state of efficiency and has accomplish
ed much it has not yet attained the
standard that is desirable nor has il
finished its work There are many
things and conditions yet susceptible
of improvement and i'm good time they
VIII be improved.
Coming down to our particular or
ganization we can with fervor and
truth say that il has been a mighty in
i strument of progress, and has wrought
to q fulfillment in a great many ways
many things that we devoutlv hoped
| for. In the course Of its history it has
stood firmly for the right in reference
to both ,nen and measures.
The greater part of the forenoon
was passed in appointing the commit
tees who We're named by the chair
with these results:
The List of Committees.
COMMITTEE ON CREDENTIALS
w. II. Golliff, Taunton, Mass; Fred Bou-
| ley, Nashua. n. H.; James Casey, Ban
gor, Maine; John Bowe, Greenfield.
Mass; Geo N Butler, Woodsvlle, n. II.
| COMMITTEE ON PRESS:-Vead Vo-
| lier, Waterville. Me-; T.. w. Stevens, Au-
gusta, Me-; Geo. T.. Turner, Bangor, Me-.
! James O'Leary, Portland. Me. A. k.
Gray, Lewiston, Me.
COMMITTEE ON GRAND OFFICERS
REPORTS;-John H. Hickey Lowell.
Mass; p. ]. Koran, Manchester, n. H.;
w. o. Allen, Rochester, n. H.: Charles
Nickerson, Bangor, Me-: John r. Glen
non, Gardner, Mass.
| COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS