The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-18

Joint High Commission.
The labor question-or rather the nova.
ment of the strikers in this city-has assnmea
such formidable dimensions that ssr;ona
apprehensions are entertained in high quar-
ters in regard to its final results. Ever
the field. Shops are closed, work sus-
pended, the whirl of machinery Is no longer
heard. The ''anvil chorus by five thousand
strikers takes the place of the noisiest part Of
the Boston peace jamboree workmen soowl,
wives scold, children starve, while the CAPT
aailsts close their pockets and shut down
ugntly the lids OF their cash boxes until the
disturDlng demonstrations cease and the
toiiers OF the city return again peaceably to
their usual employments Meantime our citi-
zens generally, and the shopkeepers especially. ]
suffer from these protracted Interruptions i'm
the usual channels of business. Hundrads NJ
thousands of dollars are kept from circulation
in consequence Of the strikes, and, although
the workingmen's benefit and relief associa-
tons may afford some partial relief, vet such
relief can be regarded only as temporary and
very uncertain.
Now, what should be done under these try.
ing circumstances in this struggle between
labor and capital? Neither the business Of
the city nor the happiness of poor families can
long withstand this Kilkenny fight between
the mechanic and the employer. They both
suffer as the contest progresses, and in the
long run the weakest party must go to the
wall. remedy for all this has been proposed.
1t has been suggested, in this emergency, that
the capitalists employing skilled labor in the
city Of New York should confer with the lead
ing spirits among the strikers, and, creating q
joint high commission of arbitration, hold a
conference here like that now in progress at
Geneva, Switzerland, and by mutual forbear-
ance and concession, bring about settlement
of pending difficulties. Of course the Geneva
Conference, from its delays and procrastina-
ton, the botheration between the governments
Of the United States and Great BSitian in
regard to certain technicalities need not be
introduced into this New York Joint High
Capital and Labor Commission. It's proceed
ings need not be impeded, nor the
feelings Of the commissioners aroused,
nor the temper of the peoples Of
both nations exasperated by such questions
as indirect claims or consequential
damages" although both might assume as inn
portant bearing upon the labor and capital
question now agitating this country as that
which Uncle Sam and John Bull have in
augurated on account of the Alabama claims.
Of course leader for this movement is wanted.
and we have one to propose. It would be q
fortunate thing to see such man as Hamilton
Fish heading this new joint high labor and
capital arbitration movement in this city. His
with Earl Granville, Of the
English government, on the Alabama matter
will have brought him to an appreciative sense
of the labor question, particularly as it affected
himself in getting up his ponderous State
papers, and his Herculean efforts to make poi6J
cal capital for himself will have enabled him
to comprehend practically the capital part Of
the matter to come under arbitration. Here
we have it in q nutshell: -"Capital against
labor-a grand joint high commission Of
arbitration and adjustment Of all dif1iculiea
between the workingmen and employers now
existing in the city of New York-Hamiltou
Fish chief arbitrator" To fill up the COM
mission on the plan of the Geneva Confer
ence there might be prominent persons
strikers and the striked alike-named as the
of Count Sclopis who appears at
Geneva on behalf of the King of Italy Of
Baron d Itajuba, who appears for the Emperor
Of Brazil; Citizen Jacob Staempfi, who ap.
pears for the republic of Switzerland; Sir
Alexander Cockburn, who appears for the
Queen of Great Britain, and Charles Francis
Adams, who appears on behalf of the republic
of the United States For counsel, advisers,
hangers-on, clerks and so on, to keep up the
to Geneva, plenty of material can
be found floating around the City Hail. the
New Court House, old Tammany Hall, Apollo
Of which can be furnished at the shortest
notice. Even Earl Granville, Mr.. Gladstone
or Lord Tenterden might be induced to take
hand in the exercises {; or, if they should not
like the sport, they might take look at our /
races, 90 to Jerome Park or Long Branch, or
We cannot promise to get up for them show
on the grand scale of the Paris Commune,
but they might be introduced TO some noble
fellows, among the Internatonals, who would
as lief go into q scrimmage as they would cot
their suppers, and to some grinding capital
ists," who would sooner drink their champagne
than shake the honest hand of a workingmen
which the capitalist was bound to respect
At any rate, let us have 1.-THE High Joint
Labor and Capital Commission of Arbitration.
and Adjustment" with Hamilton Fish ,at it,
head and any other fish at the tail.
The Clty's Gubernatorial Picture GAL
1ery.
There seems TO be imminent danger Of the
gallery of gubematorial portraits that SO long
have graced the walls of the Governors Room