The Washington times., 1916-08-29
QUESTION NOT ARBITRABLE.
Religion, Politics and Glass Opinions
Not Admirable.

TIE number Of hours that an smploye
In any industry II required to perform
labor within . 24-hour period IL a class
question. Concerning all class ques-
lions there are differences Of opinion.
Il requires no course Of reasoning to
convince any working man that a re-
duction Of hours Of labor performed
in any a-hour period from 10 to 8 ia
economically correct.
4 vast majority Of the people who
have invested their capital in an indus
try that requires the employment OF
other people In order that the industry
may be profitable to the investor. are
fully convinced that the reelection of
hours OF employees from 10 to 8 10 eco
nomically wrong.
In an engineers arbitration they
found the neutral arbitrator to be a re-
tired railroad attorney-affiicted with
old age. bad digestion, and acute preju-
dfoe-to such an extent that he did not
attempt to conceal his antipathy to the
engineers. The railroads representative
In this arbitration was so much fairer
than the neutral arbitrator that he con-
coded moro than the so-called neutral
arbitrator wanted to give.
In an arbitration of matters concern
Ing conductors and trainmen ex-office
holders. or lame ducks," rendered a
decision that made the victims say, a.
though they meant It. Never again."
In the last arbitration OF wages and
working conditions Of Western on
gineers, fremen, and hostlers the board
was dominated by q man who. a. d.
rector or trustee. was directly con-
cerned In the result Of the award. Aside
from many millions Of dollars Of other
railroad holdings. much Of which would
DO affected by the award. he was d.
rector OF trust company that owned
ono block Of approximately $12.600. 900
OF hrst-mortgaGe bonds Of one of the
railroads. parties to the arbitration.
When his railway financial connections
were discovered and official protest
made against his continuance on the
board. the employees were officially ad-
vised that while II had not been known
that he was thus connected a "knowl-
edge of that fact would have been
favorable rather than otherwise to his
appointment" and that nothing has
been brought to our knowledge since
his appointment as an arbitrator which
in our opinion disqualines him as an
arbitrator"
But. ignoring past experiences. let US
presume that there was an arbitration
Of the eiEht-hour demand of railway
employees and that In picking the Jury
every effort was made to appoint neu-
trails entirely free Of preJudices. II the
mental attitude OF the men appointed
is favorable to railway employees at the
time Of their appointment II 10 a two
to-one chance that the employees will
win. II the neutrals' past environment
has been such that II would require
much evidence to convince them OF the
Justice of the mems demands. no eight
hour day would DO awarded. II the
president OF the American Federation of
Labor IL selected as a neutral arbit-
traitor. he will with perfect honesty and
sincerity award railroad men the eight
hour day. II a president, director. or
an attorney Of some great employing
corporation u appointed. with Just as
much honesty of purpose he will deny
the eight hour day