Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-04-19
sl.IEe.-Hon Prsrerted n Enrland.

Stalkes-HOW Prevented in England.
The strife between capital land la
Dor for the respective share OF profits
I TO be awarded each in the many pur-
suits in which they are collectively
I engaged is one of great antiquity. IL
has caused much suffering, many riots
and considerable loss Of life Even
now, in the coal mining districts OF
Pennsylvania, one IS still IN progress
that has produced much distress
among the poorer classes Of New YORK.
In England, where these strikes have
caused as much thought, probably, as
elsewhere, A. J. Mundella, formerly
an employee now an employer, has
developed a plan Of recOnciing these
conflicting interests Of employed and
EMPLOYERS which works better than
any other yet developed. 1t Is called
a Board of Cancellation and Arbitra-
ton, and how itOriginated aud works
is thus described by Mr.. Mundella /:
1--WE constitute a council TO consist
equally Of employers and employed.
The trades unions were TO elect seven
members by universal suffrage in
their bodies, aud the manufacturers
their seven in the same way. These
gentlemen were to meet in some pub
lie roota-the room Of the Chamber of
Commerce, Indeed It was-and round
a common table, and meet not only
when there were disputes butperiodi-
ealiy, not less than once a quarter,
and discuss questions of wages, hOurs
OF labor, all, in fact, affecting the re-
lations of employed and employer.
We then employed a committee Of
INQUIRY, two Of each of our respective
parties. who should hear privately
any quarrel in the Initiative state,
and, IL possible, crush the thing out
there. Well, you may judge under
what feelings we entered that room
the first time-seven employers, and
seven men regarded as their bitterest
/ enemies. However, courtesy and
kindness begat reciprocal feeling,
and WecOmmenced By elecung pres
/ ideut. I was elected the nrst prest-
dent, and we elected woFkingman
vice president, in order that we might
not be Outdone in courtesy by the
/ workingmen. I have sat for ten years
at the head OF that table, and that
same workingman as vice president
has sat at the other end.
i 1--WE elected q secretary from each
party, and we Kept a record OF our
I proceedings from that day to this.
I We have had some very rough argu-
ments and difficult times TO pass
! through-a great deal Of what WsIk-
I ing men in England call Jaw How
ever, it is great deal better than
[ those long struggles and bitter anil
mosities that used to exist between
US. We have never lost one days
labor from that day to this. The
change that has come over the spirit
of the neigh borhood is remarked
throughout England; and thank
I God the hatchet is so buried that, II
] dug up tomorrow. IL would be too
rusty and rotten TO be used. Well,
we continued patiently on our way
with our experiment. Some of the
! employers Of the other towns would
not have anything to do with it.
I IWhatP they said, sit down with the
/ trades unicn leaders, NeveFi never =
However, We told them the trades
union leaders had enlightened US on
some questions, and on some ques-
tions, we had enlightened them.
Gradually they fell in, until ali the
unions and all the employers are ia,
and we are all homogeneous. II we
are in a particularly tight plaee-a
difficulty which we cannot settle
both parties agree upon an impartial
umpire, whose decision is final.