The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1915-11-05
TX. THE POLICING OF INDUSTRY


The Commission has made exten-
sive investigations and has heard
many witnesses upon this subject
and as a result the following conclu-
sions are justified:
1. The problem of policing indus
try is generally conceived to lie in
the suppression of violence and the
protection of life and property; but
in reality consists in the more fun
damental problem of protecting the
rights of employers and employees
as we'll as preserving the peace
THE ORIGIN OF INDUSTRIAL
VIOLENCE
g. Violence is seldom, if ever,
spontaneous, but arises from con-
viction that fundamental rights are
denied and that peaceful methods of
adjustment can not be used The
sole exception seems to lie in the
situation where, intoxicated with pow
err the stronger party to the dispute
relies upon force to suppress the
weaker.
8. The arbitrary suppression of
violence by force produces only re-
sentiment which will rekindle into
greater violence when opportunity Of
fers. Violence can be prevented only
by removing the causes of violence;
industrial peace can rest only upon
industrial justice.
4. The origin of violence in con-
nection with industrial disputes can
usually be traced to the conditions
prevailing in the particular industry
in times of peace, or to arbitrary ac-
ton on the part of governmental Of
ficials which infringes on what are
conceived to be fundamental rights.
Violence and disorder during actual
outbreaks usually result from oppres-
sive conditions that have obtained in
a particular shop or factory or in
particular industry. Throughout his
tory where a people or group have
been arbitrarily denied rights which
they conceived to be theirs, reaction
has been inevitable. Violence is a
natural form of protest against in
justice.
5. Violence in industrial disputes
is not Immediately the product of in
dustrial conditions, but of the atti-
tude of the parties to the dispute af-
ter grievances or demands have been
presented. The principal sources of
an attitude leading to violence are:
EMPLOYERS ATTITUDE CON-
DUCES TO VIOLENCE
a. Arrogance on the part of the
stronger party. This may result i'm
mediately in violence through the use
of force for the suppression of the
weaker party. The force used may be
physical or industrial. Physical force
may be and is used by both employ
ers and employees, through intimida-
ton, assaults or attacks on property.
Such physical aggression is seldom
used by employees, as they are
strategically the weaker party and the
results are negative; only under ex-
ceptional circumstances can an en-
ployer be coerced by the use of force
or intimidation. The exceptions seem
to lie in the use of secret means, such
as dynamite with the object of weak
ening the employers resistance.
The use of force by workers is nor
mally directed not against the per-
son or property Of the employer, but
against strikebreakers and guards.
Many instances of the use OF phys
ical force by the agents of employ
ers have, however, come before the
Commission, indicating a relatively
wide use, particularly in isolated COM
munities. Such acts of violence usu-
ally take the form of assaults upon
the leaders of the workers or upon
organizers.
Power of Discharge An Effective
Weapon of Despots
The instruments of industrial force
zL:oeI,, 20 fho amplnyar he.