Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-08

Opening the Business Meeting oS the rr,A~s
Union Congress.

Opening the Busin~ss Nesting of the rrsAss
Union Congress.
NrwcssrIr Sept s.-The proceedings Of The
trades union congress now IN session here and
representing the interests Of over 500 90
skilled and unskilled vorkmen Of Great Britain.
are attracting Widespread attention. In some
quarters the congress is termed tho work
mems parliament. and the movement is looked
upon as likely 10 lead TO important political re-
suits
Princess Beatrice. LADY Dixie. wife Of Sir
Charles Dixie: Mr.. Thomas Pottes (radieal re-
former, member of parliament Tor Rochdlle;
the IT. Hon. sir John Gorst. member OF par
Lament for Chatham and parliamentary -ecre-
iary Of the India othce. aud other members of
parliament were present at the opening OF the
congress yesterday.
~ fsyoR OF ADMIRATION.
During the course Of the session Pen"
Tlleti, the labor leader. will bring forward .
resolution in favor of the creation Of n state
board Of arbitration. with the view of pre-
venting strikes and settling labor disputes be-
tween the workmen and their employer
In all directions Keen canvass for votes 10
being made the question Of an eight-hour
work day and 20 whether eight hours. n
adopted the limit Of a days work. shall he
made n legal days work and compulsory or
whether il shall be left To- local trade option
The Miners Federation Is supposed Go favor .
compulsory eIght-hour Law and the National
Miners Union is understood 10 be OPPOSED
20 1t
SERIOUS DISPUTE.
The committee of arrangements had -eri-
Gus dispute and some warm exchanges of yiews
over the toAsis which are So be proposed as the
banquet which will celebrate the closing of the
congress. some OF the most loyal OF the labor
delegates on the committee mentioned pro-
posed that the ume-honored toast. Il he queen
and the royal family. should be drunk. To
tins proposition there was considerRnle oppo-
sitlon. Some Of the committeeman were not IN
favor of drinking 60 the roya family. though
they raised no objection to the queen. Mavers
waNed 80 int, resting that tor the time il looked
as II both The queen and The royal
family would be dropped from the
toast list. Upon reflection. however,
the committee came 60 compro-
mise understanding and agreed that The
queen and the country should be the loyal
toast. The parliamentary conmittoes report.
which has just been issued. sets forth that IL 10
10 be regretted that the government has given q
considerable balance of power TO capital IN
the appointments Of the royal labor COM
mission. whose duty a. H. 80 inquire into
the relations existing between capital and
labor and into the best means Of
preventing strikes. The report referred to
holds that In 80 giving the balance IN iaSor Of
capital the government is ~lllfuIly biaslng the
inquiry nov ln progress upon the side of the
employers of labor. lhe report adds that the
organization OF labor is making satisfactory
progress throughout the country IN spite of the
attempts of employers and directors of comps-
nies To check Its developments by refusing to
confer with the representatives OF the different
trades unions.
THE BUSINESS MEETING.
Though the congress really opened yester-
day the real business of th, meeting did not
begin until today.
The president. Mr.. Thomas Bart NJ. T., this
morning Ia his opening address congratulated
the congress upon being the largest body VI
represt natives of trades unions 60 meet In
any part of the world. MIR. Burt also said that
he was glad to that women unions were
largely represented at the congress. the
women needed more organization than tho
men. The president expressed the opinion
that whenever women did the same work IN
quantity and quaiiy inun. they ought TO
ask the same pay a. the men aud the latter
ought TO support theTa An their demands
loud applause.
Continuing Mr.. Burt predicted that as the
trades unions grew stronger strikes would di-
minish in number ana importance. A strike.
he said, Was always au ugly weapon upon wElch
to enforce claims. strike, m the
speakers opinion was like boomerang,
which, If not skilfully thrown, comes back aud
wounds the tnrowcr.
STILL Mr.. Burt admitted. strikes were neces-
sary when tine blindness and deafness of mann
mon Obliged workmen To stop the wheels.
Referring 10 arbitration a means of settling
disputes between employer aud employe, Mr.
Burt said:
Where arbitration affords a chance of arriy-
ing at IA settlement 1t s criminal to strike.
lApplause.l
Touching upon the subject OF state legisla-
ton IN regard to wurhmen, their manner Of
employment and their hours OF labor, Mr.. Burt
declared that this was subject upon which .
great dividing line drawn between work
men. some advocating that the func ctlons OF the
state ought To De limited 10 enforcing existing
laws and Others desiring such action upon the
part OF the state would lead To a Fundamental
change IN the eutire industrial systen-
Mr.. Burt believed that seat help was the best
solution for existing social problems aud de-
clared that in hin opinion advocacy of the
suggestion That the state should be the producer
anu employer of labor would lead to disaster If
applied.
In conclusion Mr.. Burt reminded the dele
gates that an Important problem for workmen
was to discover some means which would bring
about better distribution VI wealth and so
raise themselves IN humanity, IN greater ma
terial well being and AZ nobIlity of character.
lLong and enthusiastic applaase.