The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1921-02-25
The Purpose OF tho Anti-Strike Bill

The Purpose OF tho Anti-Strike Bill.
Washington, Feb. %. There are
many men of radical thought who con.
cede no allegiance to the laws under
which they live," declares the Republi-
can Publicity Association, through its
president, Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr.
"They proceed to break them whenever
the spirit moves, until they are forciblv
restrained by officers of the law. There
are others who, while not as radically
inclined as the former class, declare
that they owe no duty toward society
In general, and claim a perfect freedom
to do as they please 80 log as they do
not actually break the peace.
I'm line with his other attacks on the
railroad anti.strike bill and the Esch-
Cummins transportation act, Mr.
Gompers declares that no law to com.
pei workmensto work against their will
or under conditions detrimental to their
welfare or health can be enforced
THAT sort of an argument, convey
ing as 1t does a misinterpretation OF the
suti strike bill, carries an appeal to
those who have wrong conception of
the meaning of freedom.
There are forms of industry that
become known as public utilities be-
cause of the direct dependence of ths
public upon them for continued life and
comfort. Telephone and telegraph
companies, gas and elertric light com.
panies, and steam and electric railroads
are examples Any concern Uf that
character may be entirely the property
Of private individuals, but the law says
that it's service mustbs continuous and
that its owners shall not be free to shut
down their plant whenever it may suit
them to do 80. The activity of the pub
lie utility has become 80 necessary q
part of the public welfare of the com.
munity that its sudden stoppage would
bring disaster and probably loss of
1ife The interests of the people as a
whole demand uninterrupted service.
There has never beea any complaint
against law that compels the owners
Of public utilities to give constant serv.
ice Both the owners and the rest Of
the people recognize its necessity If our
social structure is to remain. The 80
called wage earning class would be the
very first to complain were the facili-
ties afforded by the public utilities
suddenly denied them. Yet Mr. Comp.
srs takes the astonishing position that q
law putting limitation upon the
SEXUAL owners of a utility must not be
made to apply against the men
who work for those owners aud upon
whose uninterrupted labor the utility's
service depende.
1T Is esti mated that the number Of
railroad stockholders Is $50, 900, but
many Of them are banks, insurance
companies, trust companies and other
big corporations. Every bank depositor.
policy holder, trust beneficiary, and
owner of corporation stock Is, there
fore, the owner of an equity in the rail
stock held by those concerns. 1t has
) been stated, says the Bureau Of Rail
way Economics, that the ownership
equities Of the American railways are
In the hands of more than $4,000. 900
people Now, the law demands and
society requires that those people shall
kaeo THAR nroperties in continuous on.
Grafton for the benefit of all
''In 1919, the latest figures available,
there were l,077,616 railroad employees.
Mr.. Gompers undertakes to say that
while Q law may protect the whole
nation against the action of practically
half the people, 1t is ilnpotent to provide