Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-09
ARBlTRAT BILL.
TIE MEASURE As PROPOSED.
Hspou ef the Cl,izsns Commi'iee as to 'he
ah,,,s,,en Hill Suggested by Them WIZ u
Was Net Pnsssd d. Ac..&c.

Admiration Hill suegested es rhem- "hs u
Wa. Net Passed. &c.&c.
lFor tue Dispateh.l
The following repor; of the sub'com-
nitiee appointed March lst by the bu-
siness. mems Committee Of Twenty-Five
NAV lie read with some interest as
showing the effort which has been made
10 secure the passage OF bill providing
for the settlement Of all difficulties be-
tween capital and labor in this State by
arbitration.
This report was unanimously adopted
and its publication authorized at meet
NC of the full committee held this eve
nirg At rooms Of the Chamber Of Com
ntTce.
EvERETT WApDEY, Secretary.
March 6, 1856.
Mr.. Chairman: Your subcommittee
Iesl ectfully report as follows;
TN the morning after our appointment
we conferred with as many OF our sena-
tors and delegates as could be cOnve-
niently gotten together, and we're by
them assured that il an arbitration bill
could be promptly submitted in form
acceptable to the three parties to the
conference Of February lGth-to wit.
the Citizens Committee, knights OF
Labor, and Typographical Union--lt
could almost certainly be passed and
become q las. but it could not he passed
in The brief time that remained Of the
legislative session without such con-
current approval. Mr.. Carter stated
that he could not undertake to repre-
sent the knights Of Labor in passing
upon the bill, but that their Executive
Committee was the proper body to do
30. and that they could be gotten to-
eether by Mr.. Mullen who IS, we I'M
derstard, er.o1,cio their chairmanl on
half an hours notice.
Thus encouraged, work was yigOr-
ously begun upon the bill. which was
ready and approved 10y your sub-com-
mi,tee Wednesday morning, March 81.
For this result we were much indebted
to the material already collected and
work done by Judge George l.. Chris
tian and to the public-Spirited and ell
Gent aid rendered by Mr.. ". W.
Henry. Before We separated WedneS-
day morning Major Stiles, Oh behalf OF
the committee. went to Mr.. Mullen's
Office, explained fully the situation, and
asked him to call his Executive Commit
tee together at once, offering to send
the bill in ten minutes, 50 that they
might di cuss it fully and freely, or that
our committee would meet his, or that
Major Stiles, on behalf Of our commit
tee would meet them and state our views
respecting the bill. Mr.. Mullen said the
bill he wanted was one making the sub
mission voluntary, but the decision
compulsory; but that he hal no
time to examine it then and could
not get his committee together before
6 p. VI. Major Stiles urged the danger
OF delay and the "haiEhour' promise
of the conference of February 10th,
and Of Mr.. Carter, but Mr.. Mullen in
sisted they could not be gotten to-
gelher sooner. and it was arranged they
would meet Major Stile; at his Office
at G:l5 p. ". He also approved Of
the Typographical Union being present
by their committee tthoy had declined
10 come without his APPROVAL, Of which
be promised to inform them; but in
order to insure their getting prompt no
tice, Major stiles went at once and in
formed them that the way to the con-
ference was clear. About the hour |
fixed the Executive Committee OF the I
Knights Of Labor came TO Major StileS's /
Office. Mr.. Mullen did not attend, nor
was there any representative from the
Union.
The draft Of the bill was read, with
brief explanatory remarks, by Major
Stiles.
In this report it is orr purpose to
give facts merely, not reflections or /
yet we cannot refrain from ]
expressing our establishment aud regret |
that the entire scheme was conclusively /
defeated by the declaration from the !
Labor Committee that heY had no /
poWer "a aPprore the GiH. Major Stiles /.
expressed strongly his surprise and dis I
and referred to the inter. /
view bad but few hours before with .
Mr.. Mullen, in which Mr.. Mullen had /
not in the most distant way suggested .
any such lack OF power in the commit
tee; also, to the remark Of Mr.. Carter,
" no, but the day before. had distinctly
referred our committee to this ErecU.
''re Committee as the appropriate
body 10 consider and decide whe-
Their the bill would be satisfactory
to their order, and lastly reminded them
that precisely the same representations
had been made at the original con-
ference ofthe three committees held Feb
ruary 10th, and that this was the basis
and inducement to all the work that
had been done in the matter. One Of
the Executive Committee present, who
had also been a member of the con.
ference referred TO, admitted the repre-
sensations there made and c0ntended
that the committee present did have the
power to approve the bill, but added that
as member of that committee he did
not approve it because, as he said, Il
might tend indirectly 10 break up the |
tabor UNIONS. e, The .0rJiiTatorS
might dec'de that Tie prices pref By The |
an'oRs ,cere too high. 1t was admitted |
that there was no way of remedying |
Tins dctect except by bill providing |
that the arbitrators should always de-
eide in favor Of the unions. Thereupon
the gentleman who had advanced the
objection withdrew it, or rather stated
that 1t was not his individual opinion,
but was one held by good many mem
bers Of his order--a position in which,
We fear, he was not altogether mis-
taken.
The bill was criticised in several
other respects. but the objections did
not seem TO be insisted on. Indeed,
the one point made and maintained was
that the Eretutire Comp,,ttee he'd no
power to decide whetker or not the bill
vas satisfactory, but u could hare 10
90 10 The assemblies TO be passed upon.
When this position had been posi-
lively affirmed Major Stiles, for his
committee, stated that il was prooer