New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-24
Public Interest and Public Duty

When the labor leaders who are swear
ing eternal opposition to the Public Ser
vice Commissions proposed bill for the
prevention OF car strikes have stopped
frothing at the mouth and have studied
the measure little they will find 1t diff
ferent from most proposals of similar pur-
pose. They will find that while the bill
recognizes a strike against a public SER
vice corporation as being against the pub
lies interest, it also recognizes the pub
lies duty to protect the workers interest
so there will be no necessity for strike.
In that respect the machinery provided
for in this bill is bit more advanced than
labor leaders are in the habit of encoun-
tering. Indeed, in The Tribune's judg-
ment, they will find difficulty in honest,
sincere opposition to the measure save on
the ground that its operation would leave
without a job many agitators who now
make a good living out of agitating and
fomenting strikes.
This measure declares it to be the duty
of street railroads to provide fair and
reasonable wages and working conditions.
1t provides for the creation Of wage
boards, made up Of representatives of
unions of employees duly registered with
the commission and of the employers.
These boards shall decide what is fair and
reasonable in wages and working condi-
tons, subject TO the determination of the
commission, which is to be binding. APP
peal need not be made to the wage board
or the ommission-workers and employ
ers may make agreements as TO wages and
hours, which must be filed with the com
mission, subject to its approval. All this
ought to be satisfactory enough to any
group of employees. Having given them
this, the bill provides that there shall be,
after its taking effect, no more indefinite
service or hiring at will. In the absence
Of any agreement to the contrary it is to
be understood that an employees term of
service is to be one year, and thereafter
from year 10 year, unless terminated on
thirty days notice. Pending negotia
tons before wage board for the settle
ment of a grievance, strikes and lockouts
are prohibited.
The gist of this bill, it is apparent, is in
the clause doing away with "hiring at
will' or indefinite service. The BILL if it
became law, would not conscript any man
TO service. What it would do, and do I'M
mistakably, is to say TO him: "In consid-
Grafton of the advantages you obtain you
must make a contract not to strike or
leave the service for one year or some
other definite period If you are not will
ing to do that, go now" The principle is
comparable with that underlying the con-
tracts business men make with statesmen,
agents and the like, managers make with
actors and musicians, newspaper pro-
prietors make with artists and writers.
Such an enactment would take away from
the workers the club of the strike, under
present conditions the only weapon with
which they may enforce readjustment Of
conditions of employment. 1t would take
away from employers the club of the
lockout-the only weapon with which they
think they are able to meet the threats or
demands of their employees. 1t would sub
stitute for force the investigation and ar
bitration Of differences, under the guild
ance, direction and supervision of officials,
the agents of the public. II would do this
in such fashion that the interests of the
public, both as TO service and rates, would
be protected, the welfare of the men would
be considered and the welfare Of the cor
porations-that is, the legitimate interests
of their stockholders in their investments
would be safeguarded.
The scheme is farreaching. 1t cuts
both ways. Obviously. the demands of
workers might be rejected by a wage
board as bearing too heavily on a corpora
ton in view of its income, unless that in
come might be augmented by an increase
Of rates. On the other hand, the workers
demands might be upheld and the corpora
ton forced to grant them, thus giving TO
the men all they could hope TO win through
a strike without the loss and travail Of
such class battle The public through
rs agents would undertake 70 give both
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that neither could be able to resort TO NO
lence such as now is the inevitable out
come of failure TO adjust differences. The
public, in other words, would undertake to
assert its rights, but would recognize to
the full its obligations to employers and
employed.
This is advanced ground. Perhaps it is
TOO advanced to obtain much support
either among the workers or the corpora
tions. That question the hearings which
the commission plans 20 hold or the pro-
posal should answer fairly satisfactorily.
Meantime, ii is manifest that some such
enactment is needed for the benefit and
protection of all classes-the innocent by
ISLANDERS as well as the combatants in the