Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-11-03

growing, better counsels had begun TO
prevail. The wiser and more humane
OF the employers, and Of the leaders Of
ne work-people, staggered at the mag
nlthde of the interests involved and
the bitterness and woes Of the struggle,
mad for years been advocating the es-
tablishment Of courts of arbitration
and conciliation for the peaceable set.
tiement Of all trade disputes. At
length these wiser counsels took shape
and bore good fruit
The honor Of establishing courts of
arbitration and Cancellation, first in
his own trade at Nottingham and after.
ward in all parts Of England, belongs
10 great measure to Mr.. Mundella, the
member for Sheffield. have no time
70 give you details about them. Suffice
II TO say that they are established in
AL the great industries Of the Kingdom.
and that almost all the the most pow
erini unions have inserted in their
rules positive prohibition Of strikes
until after the questions in dispute
have been before an arbitrator and
council OF conciliation. 1t may b.. too
sanguine to say that great strikes are
evils OF the past, but every day shows
that IN the future they will be gross
outrages on the moral sense of the
community. and the offending parties
VIII have all England against them.
ou may be interested to hear how the
Courts are carried on. In January
last l went down to hold one at Mid.
dleboro' the centre Of the nerth of
England iron district. Trade hal re-
vived, and though some advance had
been given, the men thought they
vera entitled TO more. The dispute
had become bitter. The interests in-
volved amounted to millions. The
Court sat in the town hall, fourteen
employers, the leading men Of the dis
trlct, on one side Of long table, four.
teen men from the works Of these EN-
ployers on the other. We sat for two
days. During the first hard things
were said, and blunt contradictions As
70 facts and figures flew about. On the
second day the angles seemed TO have
been rubbed oil, and both sides spoke
quietly and fairly. At the end Of the
day the employers went into one room.
and the men into another. | carried
proposals backward and forward for
perhaps half an hour. and at the end
Of that time had the happiness Of get
ting the signatures OF both sides TO An
agreement which settled all questions
IN dispute, and bound employers and
workmen for a whole year.
In the midst Of the worst wears ~
the great la5or-war which | have been
speaking of, when master. were assert
Ing their right to do what they would
Of their men, and men we're
ready to starve if they could only in
)are or uvf.a, uvf.,,.;n.n, ,,
iar a. the SCOPE Of this l..,,,r, !, '.o,
cerned. leave on one side cooper
alton for purposes OF distribution,
which began somewhat earlier although
y has been, as yet, by far, the most
Under it the working peo-
pie throughout the whole Of the north
of England have established stores of
their own, which supply them with
pure and unadulterated articles at cost
price, (ior all profits on purchases are
divided periodically among the men,
bers.) They have delivered them
selves from thraldom Of debt to the
small shop-keepers and publicans, aud
have restored tone to trade outside
their own body. The system Of ready
money payments is spreading widely
wherever cooperative stores flourish.
But 1t is association for production q
far harder reform 10 carry out, with
which We are concerned, and this had
scarcely any existence in England till
alter the French revolution Of l848.
All OF you who care for these questions
probably remember the establishment
OF the workmen's associations in Paris
at that time. The National Ateliers
we're founded on false principles, for
political purposes.and failed grievously
but many Others associations establish
ell by the ouvrisr themselves fiourished
for years indeed, some Of them we're
still in great prosperity down to the
breaking out Of this sad war. Well,
some Engiishmen whs had seen or
knew about them. resolved TO try the
experiment at home feeling sure that
in this direction, however difficult the
path might prove, lay the true soluf ion
Of the labor question. We formed in
London q society for promoting work
ing mems associations, and assisted
number Of bodies of men in the build
ing, tailoring. shoe-making, and other
trades to start in business for them
selves, under rules which provided that
all those employed in the work should
share in the profits. The same thing
was done in other parts Of England,
and in other branches Of industry.
Most Of these associations failed, o few
succeeded and remain to this day, but
the experience gained was sufficient to
convince all who took part in the
movement, on the one hand Of the
truth and power Of the principle, on
the other hand Of the exceeding diff
Guilty Of carrying it on to practical
success without the aid Of those who
had grown up with the knowledge and
experience Of conducting manufactures
and business. We had to admit with
some sorrow and disappointment, that
it would probably take . generation to
educate men Of the working class so -
to fit them for the successful manage
ment OF . productive association. II
the reform was to come speedily, il
must be by the help Of the employers.
But here the law again stood in our
wov An ou1louoe oO,,lI not rv;,,o III.