New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-11

4RBITR4TION AND STRIKES CONIRISTED.
Galveston has sense. and the workingIncn
there show more Judgment and more regard
for public interests and nights and for pubic
opinion than their associates have shown IN ~.
Louis or the MOrongahcla Valley. Having en-
gagged III a struggle with the Mallory steamship
Company, BY winch the industry OF the whole
city is disturbed, the labOrcTs have consented
to abide by the decision Of arbltrators, who
have been appointed and have begun the hear
ing of evidence. The President of the Cotton
Exchange was chosen by the committee of Al
bitralors H. their president, and the railway
companies and the Mallory Company have
pledged themselves, according to dispatches, To
abide by the decision. L. not this n better
mode of rcachinga settlement than by the de-
struction of property and the use of dynamite,
as III IT. Louis or by blood-hcd IN the Hooking
Valley, or starvation in The Monongahcla Val
ley
The question at issue at Galveston. accord
Ing to tclc graphic reports, appears to be one OF
good faith and veracliy. The failure OF the
strike is not denied. The quest Oh is whether
the men who were out shall be allowed to di-
vide work with the new hands who have
successfully filed their places. The Knights
OF Labor claim that pledge to that effect was
made by Mr. Sawyer, representative of the NAL
l0ry Company. Int he maintains that he prom
ised not to consent but to consider the
reinstatement asked, and was obliged to refer
the matter to the New 70 Office. In such a
case it Is not possible 10 determine at this dis
tanrc which party has the right possibly there
may be error on both sides. But the vital fact
is that both have agreed to submit their claims
10 fair and DISTINGUISHED arbitratOrs, and thus
have set in example which might well be fol-
lowed elsewhere.
In contrast with this, We have the course OF
the Monongahcla miners. They also agreed to
arblrae some months ago. Mr.. Weeks, sccrc-
tary of the Western Iron Association, and
United States special agent of the census on
the manufactures Of glass and coke, was most
fortunate selection for umpire, and he reported
Il compromise between opposing views which
the operators were nevertheless willing to
accept. But the Miners Association, with
singular folly. reused TO abide by the decision
az they had agreed 10 90, and from that day to
thi, there has been no prosperity in the Monon-
glhcla Valley. a great part of its former trade
awha Valley has been able greatly to increase
its shipments OF coal. The disturbance in the
coal region, and the uncertainty as to
the price of coal ct Pittsburg, have 40
greatly accelerated the use of natural
gas that nearly all the large establish
mcnts there have now ceased to use
coal altoge her, and sxty-slx glass furnaces,
thirty four rolling mills, forty five other esab-
lishments, aud one thousand five hundred
private dwellings are already using the natural
gas exclusively, displacIng about 10000 tons
of coal formerly used daily. This enormous loss
to the business of the miners has been to a con-
siderable extent the direct consequence of the
refusal of the workers to stand by their
own agreement and abide by the result of
an arbitration. The later dispatches indicate
that great break in the ranks of the miners
occurred Oh Monday, many of them returning to
work at the wages they had previously refused.
But meanwhile terrible suffering has existed
through the valley, a great disturbance of in-