Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-12-07
CAUSES OF UNREST AMONG
WORKERS, AND THE REMEDY
Federal Commission Industrial Relations Reports TO Con-
gress Its investigation of Conditions Among Laboring
People-Wants Government Employment Bureau.

and revolt against the suppression o.
organization.
Unemployment and the inseeurit,
which the wage Garner feels at al
times.
Unjust distribution of the product
of industry. Exploitation of tbs
many by the favored few Demand
for full share of production.
Unjust attitude of police ano
courts.
There is one law for the rich, an
other for the poor
Immigration and the consequent
oversupply of labor.
Existence of q double standard,
which sanctions only poor living in
return for the hardest manual la
Dor, and at the same time luxury for
persons who perform no useful service
| whatever
"BiR Business's" Power.
Disregard of grievances of indi-
vidual employees and lack of machin-
cry for redressing same.
Control by big business over both
industry and State.
Fear on the part of those in COM
Portable positions of being driven to
poverty by sickness, accident or in
voluntary loss of employment.
| "Inefficiency of workers on account
of lack of proper training.
Unfair competition from prison
| and other exploited labor
THE rapid pace of modern IN
dustry, which results in accidents
and premature old age.
Lack Of attention to sickness and
accidents, and the difficulty and de-
lay incident to securing compensation.
for accidents under the common law
. and the statutes of states which have
=. not adopted modern methods of deal
ing with those questions.
Arbitrary discharge of employees.
Establishing of individual en-
Iployes.
Exploitation Of women and chill
dren In industry.
Promotion of violence by the use
of gunner, spies and provokers hired
by employers.
Attempt to destroy unionism by
, the pretense of the open shop
'Monopolization of land and natural
resources.
Suppression of free speech and
right of peaceful assembly"
On the principle of collective bar
gaining the investigators found viz
tually all witnesses, with the eXcep-
ton of those representing the Indus
trial Workers of the World, to be in
accord. AS to any suggested method
of application of that principle, how
ever, wide divergence of opinion was
noted. In this connection the report
adds:
"A majority of the best-informed
witnesses who have appeared before
the commission have insisted. how
ever, upon the necessity of securing a
proper basis upon which such collec-
ffxrc hDE afT1fy &c l,a cd M
1t is impossible to analyze these sug
gestions at this time, but it may be
well to note that practically all of the
most experienced witnesses have in
sisted upon the necessity for strong
organization of both employers and
employees as a fundamental basis for
the successful conduct of collective
bargaining"
Criticisms of Unions.
The report takes up in detail criE-
cisms of existing trade unions which.
1t says, came from employers and
radicals who advocate other forms of
labor organization. There are eigh-
teen detailed criticisms in this list,
with an additional list of seven
specific objections to present labor
union methods made by Industrial
Workers of the World.
Paralleling these lists twenty-one
detailed criticisms of employers or
Sanizations are presented, coming
from labor representatives. The labor
men, however, were unanimous in ia
voring strong organizations by en-
ployers to further collective agree
ments with employees.
While virtually unanimous agree
ment of witnesses was found in favor
Of the formation of a Federal COM
mission of mediation and Cancellation,
the report points out that practical
~ every witness has expressed the
strongest disapproval of any form of
compulsory arbitration
Arbitration was suggested only as
a last resort. and then to be purely
voluntary. Witnesses agreed that
mediators should be bipartisan. that
they should have full power of in
vestigation, that their contact with
industry or industries with which
they are expected to deal should be
as nearly continuous as possible,
that they should. if possible, act be-
fore dispute has come to a head,
and that adequate inducements
should be offered to obtain the best
possible men.
The testimony of a majority of
the employers was in favor of rule
similar to that of the Canadian in
dustrial disputes act which prohibits
strikes and lockouts in public utili-
ties pending investigation by the
mediators, assisted by representatives
of the employers and employees.
Such a law is uniformly opposed by
the Representatives of labor on the
ground that it is entirely in favor of
the employer, who utilizes the period
of delay to make preparations for
breaking the strike. 1t is also in
sisted that such a delay would be
in violation of that provision of the
constitution of the United States
which prohibits involuntary servi-
tude."
Studying Trade Unions.
Regarding trade unions and en-
pioyers' associations, the commission
announces that it is making a COM
prehensive study of large number
of typical organizations. The COM
miss on says:
Against many of these associ-
ations and unions grave charges Of
serious imports to the welfare of the
country, if they be proved true, have
been laid before the commission, and
it is only by the most painstaking,
impartial and unrelenting examine
ton that the facts can be developed.