The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-30
IsKS TRIBUNAL
FOR RAILROAD
LABOR TROUBLE
r..bsrs Of c. 8. Beard Says En-
s.rcsabIe Law Would Be Best
sr-Employers and Employees.

vov York. jan 30.-The only
-s~sicable. effective and Just meth
thaf the government can set up
o. tse adjustment of railroad labor
,,troyersies is adjudication by a
smnetent tribunal, whose decisions
ali be enforceable by suitable
s.,aItfes. Ben w. Hooper, public
rmnber Of the United States rail-
- labor board told the civic fed
.s,tiou in an address here today.
Iris was added by Mr.. Hooper to
Va i've other propositions looking
.arard equitable settlement of
.ssIroad disputes. These were:
srhat efficient and uninterrupted
,,ansoortation is indispensable to
the public welfare.
aThat the carrier and their en-
,,oyes jointly owe such transporta-
Han to the public.
THAT the federal government has
sha right, as a matter of contract,
uublic policy and police power, and
owes TO the people the duty to in
mre such transportation.
ssTbat the governments duty and
the peoples rights are violated by
neru1itting railroad labor contro-
yersies to be settled by economic
warfare.
aThat, if railway employees are
deprived, for the promotion of the
common good, of the legal right to
strike, some other remedy of equal
or superior efficacy must be pro-
vided."
speaking in general terms, only
Two plans have ever been devised
for the settlement of railway labor
controversies, continues Mr.. Hoop
or. these are: By economic war
the strike and by adjudication. ]
purposely omit mention of such ex-
pedients as mediation, voluntary ar
bitratiop, etc. in their varying
forms. The difference between the
strike and adjudication is the diff
ference between force and law.
Just now the nations are endeav-
oring at Washington to curtail the
ancient doctrine of tho supremacy
OF might, and believe that hence
forth this spirit will likewise be
potent i'll composing some of oul
domestic troubles.
Il am friendly to the aspirations
Of iaboring men for the betterment
OF their condition, and 1 am firm
believer in their right to organize
and to junction as organizations
cannot, however, sympathize will
the idea that the right of the rail
way employees to strike outweigh:
the rights of the men, women anC
children of this nation to be pro
tected against the disastrous result!
OF railway strikes. This simply
means that some remedy other thai
the strike should be found for OBJ
tanning justice for the railwa,
worker, without, at the same time
destroying the public
Blames DemagOgues.
The question remains, could the
railway employees get justice under
such a system? Their suspicion Of
courts and tribunals may be based
to limited extent, upon occasional
acts of judicial oppression, but
largely they arise from the incen
diary literature that is continually
fed to laboring men by demagogi
cal aspirants for leadership, who
sweepingly condemn all govern
ment agencies and Officials, theii
motives and conduct, as well as the
motives and conduct of all conser.
yatiVe leaders.
IF the congress Of the United
States would confer upon the Rail
road Labor board the power to en-.
force its decisions, there is not E
railroad in the United States thai