OCR Text |
Show About Trades Unions. IN THE JANUARY ISSUE of the North American Review Mr. Car-.roll Car-.roll D. Wright, United States commissioner com-missioner of labor, begins his article on "Consolidated Labor" by asking the question whether it would not be well to conserve the usefulness and check the waywardness of trades unions by outright legal incorporation. As incorporated in-corporated bodies the unions would have certain privileges and certain restrictions re-strictions which would benefit both them and the general public. Combination, Combina-tion, says Mr. Wright, is more of a theoretical than an actual evil. "The new understanding must involve the freeing of public opinion from the idea which makes combinations' of labor or or capital objects of distrust and evils to be throttled. The result of combination combina-tion will be escape from the destructive competition of producers, combating each other in the dark for custom and from the hungry competition of workmen work-men combating each other in the dark for employment." Having stated his own position, Mr. Wright goes on to say that while the Knights of Labor have favored, the incorporation in-corporation of labor organizations, labor la-bor leaders are apprehensive of the results re-sults of such a step. They are, afraid that in case their societies are incorporated incorpo-rated it will be possible to attach their funds under an action 'of' contract or tort, and that a hostile judiciary might In this way bring them to. ruin. It may be remarked that in England It has been settled, in the TafE Vale railway case, that a body which can inflict an Injury can be held responsible in damages dam-ages for the results of that, injury. The same principle will probably ' Mr. Wright says undoubtedly) hold good! In' America. - .-: ' " , ji pri, the other hand, the' distinct advantages ad-vantages of incorporation, are,' in Mr. Wright's opinion, both many and great, j There will be a better standing in I court, where the unions will be able to ' appeal as legal persons, and enforce ( their contracts against employers. There will be a better standing with the public, an increase in dignity and importance, and the prestige of an incontestable in-contestable legality. Last of all there will be the sobering influence upon the unions themselves. The consciousness of recognized position posi-tion is no small gain to any body of men. From this will flow many important import-ant consequences, chief among which, as Mr. Wright hopes-, will be the provision pro-vision by the unions of certain pains and penalties for members who during a strike commit or instigate acts of violence vio-lence toward persons or property. In this hope Mr. Wright expresses the feelings of the public in general. The unions could find no better way to strengthen themselves and to secure sympathy and support.. If they can by their own efforts check the violence of their members they 'Will show a regard both for justice and for sound policy. Mr. Wright admits that the doctrine he teaches is not popular with the trades unions, but "as a true friend of organized labor" he believes "the modern mod-ern tendency as shown in the attitude of law in recent times "will make of them what they really hope to become powerful ecomonic factors, capable under the law, and capable through their responsibilities of dealing with that other powerful factor of industry, capital itself." It may be that study and reflection will cause the labor leaders lead-ers to change front and try the experiment experi-ment of incorporation. |