Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-18

Bloodshed and destruction of property
accompanying the New Orleans street
railway strike reminds the country that
even in domestic affairs the principle Of
arbitration still has long road to
travel before human passions can be
restrained from flaring into violence.
To the Louisville Times it seems that
such outbursts are in keeping with the
trend of the day in the United States.
"A generation ago. let us say in the
Cleveland administrs ton" observes the
Times. such an occurrence would have
occasioned the flaming wrath of a Ma
ton devoted to the principles of den1oc-
racy and maintenance of law and order.
In a period of complacency with the
lavlessneSs of hiiackers, moonshiners,
hootleggerS and gamblers on one hand.
and some phases Of industrial upper
tendon on the other hand; in period
of the erosSest materialisn. a Nation
wide fame of wrath. or feeling of con-
Germ. is not q sure. or even probable. re-
suit of any occurrence. 1t doesn't mat
ter what happens as long as it doesn't
happen to me- is rather widespread
sentiment In this country at this time.
News of street fighting by thousands in
New Orleans about the effort of a street
railway company to operate its cars is
likely to be read casually by n1any
Americans. whose fathers would nave
read it in a caSus belli for govern
ment"
violence has no part in a contro-
versy of this kind" asserts the New Or
leans Times-P icayune. with the further
contention that sit is appalling to think
that at the expiration of each contract
between company and union the city
must be faced with acts of violence that
are contrary to the principles OF life.
liberty and the pursuit Of happiness.
As to the issues involved, the Times
Picayune says: The union officials have
stated that they must have the right
to say who shall be discharged by the
company in order to maintain the exist
ence of the union. AS matter of fact.
the union officials must know that the
principle for which they are fighting is
not included in many other contracts
that their union has signed with public
service companies in other cities. Yet
the union in these other cities main
tains itself quite satisfactorily and per-
forms the we'll recognized functions for
which it was originally organized"
The advice that States should have
arbitration boards in continuous exist
ence is offered by the Nashville Banner
which sees q lesson in this tragic piano.
rama at New Orleans" and explains its
proposed remedy: Upon the request OF
either party to strike. imminent or ac-
tual. this arbitration board, say OF three
members. could take up the matters at
issue with a representative chosen by
each side of the dispute The
opportunity for public service OF the
most valuable character which such
body could perform is not difficult to
visualize"
whether or not the companys in
he f11l1
and fire. is virtually notification OF
the principle of the closed shop which
it processes to accept" thinks the
Springfield Republican. lis best deter
mined by reference to closed shops that
obtain elsewhere in the industry. The
company. Of course, Is under no legal
obligation to recognize the union In any
way, but If that is what its attitude
amounts TO, 1t ought to be clear TO all
concerned
Invariably sympathizers rather than
strikers are leaders" declares the
Scranton Times. I'm the violence which
grows out of attempts to operate cars
by strikebreakers or employees who have
refused to quit their posts. Street car
service affects directly great majority
of the citizens of community. Stop
page of such service, accordingly, Is OF
vital concern and frequently interferes
with other industries through inability
of employees to get to and from work. F"
The New Orleans Tribune, describ-
ing the mob violence, states: The net
results is temporary chaos record
ed in gross accounts of utter destruc-
ton, needless bloodshed and per-
manent loss in property and pub
lie reputation. This has very seldom
happened in any American city. But 1t
has happened when the responsible
public authorities of cities and States
have failed to put down mobbery and
riot. We assume. regardless
Of the merits of the quarrel between