Perth Amboy evening news., 1915-07-26
THE LAW AND GRIEVANCES.


with its men in any way until they
return to work, brings to mind, by
way of contrast, Henry Ford and his
great automobile industry. While
there is no denying that Mr.. Ford's
profits are enormous his corporation
is not as rich as the great Standard
Oil Company, neither are the in
comes of Mr.. Ford's associates as
large as those connected with the
Standard Oil, yet the Ford concern
finds it possible to pay even its
humblest employe at least So per
day. If the Ford company can do
this, Standard Oil, with its billions
of dollars, can well afford to pay its
men at least living wages, at least
to those men who work under the
most trying conditions.
The sympathy of the public went
out to the men when it was learned
that in some departments the men
work not only in heat at 200 de-
grees but at the same time in the
midst Of the most stirling fumes, yet
they receive but $3.50 day. For
concern possessing the wealth of the
Standard Oil, this is an outrage. If
any men earn SIS day these men
do. 1t is, therefore, piece of ar
rogance for the officials of the COM
pany to tell Governor Fielder that
they have nothing to arbitrate and
will settle their own labor Difficult
ties without outside interference.
Such an attitude might have been
assumed a few years ago, but it
won't do any more The Standard
Oil is behind the times. The Henry
Ford example marks the new era
that is upon us.
But when the strikers at Bayonne
won the sympathy of the public
through making known the facts as
to the conditions under which they
worked, they had not yet begun their
rioting. The lawlessness that fol-
lowed did much to lose for the men
all the advantage they had gained by
having public sympathy with them.
Every citizen realizes that law and
order must be maintained. We
cannot submit to mob rule. All the
officials of Bayonne and Hudson
county wanted to be the friends of
the men, but the men would not
have it. Those whose duty it was to,
see that the law was. re9Rsas6A
der maintatnaf were set upon and
Beaten THE grievances of the men
Xeye lost sight of in lawlessness and |
rhine that was being committed.
1t is declared that the presence Of
deputies was the cause of all the
trouble. All admit that only the
sight of a. uniform will impress the
men. But the only uniformed body
available, besides the inadequate city
police force, is the state militia, and
this the governor refuses to call out
for riot duty. We agree that the
militia should not be used for this
purpose, and for that reason we
advocate a state constabulary. Not
only Is the ordinary city police force
inadequate to cope with such situa-
ton, but by withdrawing the police
men from their regular beats to do
strike duty leaves the rest of the city
exposed to robbers and other crimi-
mails which is decidedly unfair to the
rest OF the inhabitants. 1t is evident
that the deputies do more to incite
riot than depress it. The state,
therefore, must do one of two things.
Either 1t must be prepared to send
a company of militia to any strike
scene as soon as trouble threatens
in order to save life and protect
property, or 1t must provide an ade-
quate state police force wearing the
uniform of authority to handle the
situation.
Respect for the law must come
before any grievances Of the men can
be considered.