Omaha daily bee., 1915-04-11
PUBLIC THE JUDGE
in LABOR STRIKES
Kruttsohnitt Says it is Final
Arbiter of ALI Industrial
Disputes.
HARTMAN AIDE ON STAND

CHICAGO April Io-Julus Krutt-
sohnitt. first assistant TO the late e. II.
Hartman, and himself one OF the lead
ing railroad authorities OF the country,
today expressed to the United States
Commission on Industrial Relations the
opinion that the only solution OF labor
troubles is the designing of vehicle
through the public, (which is almost al
ways right" shall decide the merits OF
controversies.
"one of the duties OF this commission"
said Commissioner James o'Conneil to
Mr.. Kruttschnitt, who was the first wit
ness at today's session, lis to ascertain
the cansas of industrial unrest and TO
recommend a remedy II possible. What
is your opinion?"
II have observed great many strikes,
and in the end public opinion decides
justly, as a rule" replied the witness.
mo strike that / recall ever succeeded
with public opinion against e. The great
American public settles them all The
older grow the more am convinced
that the task OF settling labor troubles
is the task OF keeping the public in
formed.
''The establishment Of a machine for
the purpose should be comparatively
simple. There Is publicity ciauso'in the
Canadian arbitration law and the
Canadians have a machine for snforming
the pubic impartiaIly OF the merits OF
labor disputes. The Canadian public thus
OFFICIALLY becomes a board OF arbitration
in all such cases. / do not favor COM
pulsory arbitration; Il has been failure
in Now Zealand, where Il was tried out
for some years f4aA
ut was public opinion which decided
the strike OF 1911 in favor of the railroads,
The board OF mediation and Cancellation
at Washington seems a move in the right
direction, but machinery for getting corr
rect and impartial information TO tho
great arbitration public Is needed.
The government now controls the rail-
roads. their earnings and even their ex-
penses. II is only right. that labor dis
putes which may involve the railroads
in additional expense shall be referred 70
It. 80 that among other things. II may
point out where money for increased
wages is TO come from" -
History of strike.
Prior to the strike Of 1911" said ltr.
Kruttschnitt. "our relations with our
worlunen were pleasant In May. 1871,
however, we heard that the shop crafts,
meeting at Salt Lake City. had decided
TO federate We were informed OF this
later and federation officials asked for a
conference. We replied that we had con-
tracts with the industrial crafts and were
prepared to deal with them an. we al
ways had done. This was not satisfact-
ory to the federation. I saw Mr.. Kline
and Mr.. Franklin OF the men.
II told them that IL the men felt that
they must have the federation OF trouble.
did not soc how the Hartman lines
could avoid the trouble. l said that II we
accepted their plan we would have en-
tered into an agreement with 30 strong
body that the companies would be
helpless. We would be unable TO resist
any demands Of the men. The grievance
OF a tinsmith in New Orleans might he
enough TO tie up every mile OF our lines.
Calls Demands UnreasOnabIe.
They disagreed with this view and
asked us TO compel our men, within
thirty days TO Join the federation. The
federation was 10 govern appreticeships
and physical examinations and tho look
ing up OF records OF applicants for work
was To be eliminated. Some OF our older
men said the federation was the plan OF
young hotheads. but that if there was a
strike the old conservative men would
have to Join H."
THE strike" continued Mr.. Krutt-
schnltt. AROSE from total disregard OF
ths right of the employers. l said that they
wouldn't try to carry their plan into their
own homes. to forbid their wives. for
instance. 10 dismiss an unsatisfactory
cook.
II have done hard physical work myself
and ] sympathlse with the men. For
thirty-thre years / got along nicely with
my fellow workmen, but the demands OF
1911 were too unjust 10 be tolerated"