Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1915-06-30
SOCIALIST LEADERS DIVIDED
ON WAR SITUATION
is ARBITRATION BETWEEN
CAPITAL AND LABOREFFECTIvE

CHICAGO, Ill June 30.-"Arbitra-
ton as means of settling disputes
between capital and labor is hanging
in balance. And the pendulum is
the present arbitration proceedings be-
ing conducted by the Mayors media
ton board. The eyes of the entire
world are on the dial.
This was the statement today Of a
high abor official, and his expressions
We're echoed by his associates, al labor
officials, iii discussing the recent strike
of 14,500 street car and elevated men,
which completely paralyzed Chicago's
transportation facilities and tried up
business for two days.
They reached this conclusion, they
said, from their own experience and
from observation of mediation in 9th
er strikes. They pointed out that
they were defeated when Chicago was
theatened with traction strike three
years ago. At that time they stated
that never again would they consent
to arbitration and they bided their
time until the three years of their CON
tract expired
The recent ruling in the Western
wage rate controversy against the
ninety odd thousand trainmen on SO
western railroads was also mentioned
as an example. That ruling was de-
clared to be adverse to the labor in
terests, and labor heads were loud in
their protestations that they had been
"bunked.' w. E. Stone, head of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
was bitter in his arrangement of the
ruling and Of arbitration "as the train
men got it."
go back in the history of arbitrary
proceedings as means of settling labor
disputes" said an official today, land
you'll find that labor has triumphed in
extremely few Of them. Take for in
stance the ruling at Indianapolis in
the traction strike of 1913 The men
submitted to arbitration after a fight.
When the award was handed down the
men got an infinitely small raise in
wages and slap in the face in the
way of the open shop. The company
was admonished and directed to show
no discrimination against the men be-
cause of their affiliations with the
union. The company has never lived
up to the award, and the men are tied
down by contract, by court injunctions
and what not from striking again.
"Arbitration received hard blow
then. 1t received a much harder blow
in the trainmen ruling, and now if the
men are again defeated, after main
tanning one of the most peaceful
strikes in the history of this country
it will be the death knell of arbitra-
ton.
"The principals of arbitration are
just as equitable, but labor has found
it impossible to get that kind. And
the profit of the pudding is in the eat
ing"
Officials, however, are jubilant over
the way the strike was conducted in
Chicago. The men were orderly. Not
shot was fired and only two minor
cases of violence reported to the police,
they were not directly traceable to
strikers, but rather to their over zeal
Gus sympathizers.
eve showed the world how to con-
duct strike in peaceable manner"
said l.. A.. Bland of the labor inter
ests, who sat in the IL hours confer
ence with the mayor and officials from
both sides that preceded peace.
''There was no violence on our side,
which is in itself great victory"