The Gem worker and the Idaho labor herald. (Boise, Idaho) 1914-1917, 1915-09-09
ARBITRATION LAWS
Always Opposed by Organized Greed That
FavOrS Strife

When organized labors enemies adj
wise the union man to refrain from
violence they generally give advise
that they do not want him to keep
but which they more often strive to
goad him into breaking. There has
not been great strike for better liv-
ing conditions in the United States
that did not have quickly on the scene
of action a posse of Pinkerton de-
tectives, or some other branch of the
detective field, who were determined
to create the appearance of labor out
RACES, even if there was none. The
writer is not speaking from hearsay
or newspaper comment. l was EN-
ployed by a detective agency for quite
a long time and thoroughly under
stand their methods. The business of
constantly watching labor unions and
working to disrupt and defeat them
was the principal business of the de-
tective agency-they could not have
contiRned business if it had not been
for the labor end of the operations.
If some of those who take for grant
ed the newspaper sensations that al
ways start during labor trouble
could understand the real situation
they would open their mouths until a
baseball would fall down their throats
without touching their lips. Its a de-
tective agency's business to help the
employer win the labor war-that is
what they are paid for. If there is
disturbance it works favorable to the
employer by turning public sentiment
in favor of force in settlement of the
strike and if this disturbance does not
come from labor voluntarily it will be
aggravated. If the state in which there
are labor troubles is governed by cor
rupt public officials there is a COM
.plete understanding between the own
ers or operators of the industries that
are shut down and the civil authori-
ties. Both will work for riot among
the men in order to get the assistance
of the state troops to prevent the re-
occupation of the premises of the in
dustries by union men in picketing to
prevent scabs from taking the union
mems place and breaking up the strike
But the method of the strike is
not the best way of settling the diff
ferences between laboring men and
their employers. There should be
compulsory arbitration for all labor
disputes with non-biased board to pas:
upon the merits of all contentious
This will be fought by monopolistiC
capital because their purpose being
dishonest and unfair they know th'
decisions would in most instances b'
against them.
In the past capital has succeeded il
making many laboring men believ'
that arbitration is had for him (th'
laborer) but that time is past because
the great monopolistic employers hav,
so steadily refused to arbitrate, ques
tions that their opposition to th'
principle is now known by all excep
the initiated.
But there will never be a time wheI
it won't be necessary to be always OF
the job of supporting the right mel
during political campaigns. Capita
always tries to secure men who ar
favorable to the employers stand
Tpoint on all questions. Labor mus
also enter the political game to Sc
that men are elected who will stan
for justice.
Millions of dollars are lost ever
year thru the strike but until there
honest arbitration of labor dispute
there will always be strikes. The
are the only weapons the laborin
man has and without it wages woul
be under steady decline. 0rganiA
ton and the strike are the twin sis
tiers that have prevented Chinese wag
rates in the United States, but organ
zation will drop the strike and take 0
arbitration which will forever en-
force in labor disputes.
Arbitration has proved so success
full in New leland that any one woul
be laughed at who would suggest th'
it be dispensed with in favor Of th
old methods Of strike, riot and cor
fusion It creates an incentive anon
laborers that leads to study of all ec'
noinic questions which are now net
lected in favor Of less important
points of difference.