St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-09-29
The Way 10 End Strikes.

Upon this vital question the Spring
field Republican publishes an article
from Mr.. Converse of Greenfield, Mass,
Il manufacturer of extended expert
ence. The Republican comments edi-
torially upon it as follows: BY what
ever particular means the end desired
is ultimately reached whether the
differences between work and pay are
settled by boards of arbitration in the
nature of courts, 10y amicable agree
ment without such intervention, or in
some other way-it is plain that peace
able solution depends, first and always,
upon intelligence and good under
standing. Civilization n-education in
its brOadest sense-preventS fighting I;
only the veriest savages are always at
war, and good deal of barharism
enters into the contest in hand. The
workmen, generally well-meaning, of
course, are often rough and ignorant,
unused to American ways, and easily
duped by the wild talk and absurd
promises of class of persons called
leaders among them, who are really
VultureS. This can he seen at its
worst among miners, where toll Is the
hardest and ignorance the most dense.
And here it should he observed that
the state of Pennsylvania, which con-
tains immense numbers of these men,
is shockingly derelict in permitting
mere children to go to work with their
fathers and there remain, cropping up
to manhood without ii days schooling
in their lives. Pennsylvania mines
are to-day filled with boys of from
L..
never go out until disabled by age or
infirmity, and yet nothing is palmer
than the necessity of educating them.
But what can bc done with the men
remains to he seen. Mr.. Converse
evidently thinks that something must
be tried, and his idea is that employers
should seek to educate the men and to
make their lives brighter and better
should treat them more like reaSona-
BILE beings and take such course as
will create mutual goodwill, and that
this can best be done by general or
ganization and concerted action. Ger
tainly employers who have trouble
from strikes will find this worth think
ing of.
OF course in many instances, particu-
larly in New England, the condition
of things Mr.. Converse would seek Ia
establish already exists in great per-
fection, even where large numbers OF
men are concerned. Take the Fair
banks scale works, at st. JOhnsbury
where the owners are still fresh from
the forge and the plan of hiring hell
| when but one or two men were wanted
has been simply enlarged. The siN
l
nearly all Americans, fairly educated
sober, reputable and industrious, and
very many of them own substantial
! homes. A professional ''agitator" who
should go among them with the rant
and cant and sOcialiStic talk which Is
so powerful for mischief in Pittsburl
would simply get laughed at. And tC
the character of their wOrkmen Ii
largely due the action of the firm il
refusing to move the factory to tide
water, where great saving could b'
made in freight : an entirely differen
class would then come in, and there
would constantly he veXing and per
haps disastrous labor troubles.
There is little danger that striking
will invade st. JOhnsbury-the iso
lated manufactory with intelligen
wOrkmcn and the Importance of pre-
serving good understanding aPpre
ciatcd on both sides will avoid it-bu
wherever great employing Interests
and great numbers of wOrkmen have
come together in this country division
has grown up, and there has been
strong tendency toward the establish
ing of open antagonism between mas
ters and men ruinous to both, bu
almost constantly pressing most hcav
lily upon the men. Because of com
pactncss and convenience of OrganiZa
ton some of the worst of this ha
appeared in the iron manufacturin:
business, and, as the center of this
Pittsburg has appeared as sort o
focus of the whole trouble. And ther,
will he the natural place for the worl
of ending the trouble to take definite
shape, if any plan can he devised tina
is practicable.