THIN ICE

When F. K. Landis was still a judge he made a wage award in a dispute between the Chicago labor unions and the Building Trades Council, which it was hoped would settle the disagreements between the two organizations. A citizens' committee was formed to enforce the decision, and for a short time all went well. But recently there has been discontent, particularly in the Glazers' Union, over declarations by employers of open shop trades.

On Wednesday the trouble came to a head with the murders of two policemen, the wounding of another, and the bombing of several buildings. In fact the situation closely resembles the Bay-market riots of several years age in the attempt to organize a reign of terrorism, and in the fierce response of the city to the attempts. The police have rounded up more than four hundred labor leaders and have arrested the "Union Czar" on suspicion of conspiracy. The search of the headquarters of the Union has resulted in the discovery of fuses, caps, revolvers, and ammunition;--the leaders of course claim complete ignorance of the matter.

Perhaps they are innocent, even of plotting the disorders; but the statement of one of them made recently to the effect that he could not guarantee to control his men, if some steps of reconciliation were not undertaken, seems rather significant. Even supposing that the revolvers were for self, defense and the fuses for digging foundations, some responsibility should fall on the agitators' shoulders for inciting discontent. A radical enthusiast in the recent textile strike announced the principle of "when your boss needs you most,--strike. Content is a bad sign, never be contented. Strike whenever good times appear and the capitalists will have to pay you." Even granting that such assertions are not characteristic of all unionism, Mr. Gompers' plea that labor be saved from the courts might almost be paraphrased into "saving the cities from labor." To arouse men to rioting and then to try to restrain them, is rather like a small boy who skates as close as possible to a danger sign and then says he did not mean to get wet.