The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-15

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be exempted from tho operation Of the stat
ute. they will only have to signify tho wish
by bnre majority Of tho members OF their
respective trades. This. according to prcsent
appearances, they Will find 1t easy to do.
American workingmen will be interested
In the fact TINT a motion iavo,ing n State
Board OF Arbitration was ncgatived by a
vote OF I2o to 1917. The experience of British
worbmeI 10 that q general council OF arbi-
tration, whose powers extend to all trades.
although with only few OF them can the
arbitrators have any personal acquaintance,
is impracticable. With SO much distrust do
both artisans and their employers look upon
the scheme that the Masters and Workmen
Arbitration net, which was passed with
great trouble In 1872. has never been put in
force. III no case has 1t been even appealed
to. In 1875 tho Trades Union Congress
passed resolution calling upon the parlia.
mentary committee to take measures TO
organize something quite different from n
general Board, namely, sclfsupporting local
councils OF Cancellation In tho chief indus
trial centres OF tho United Kingdom. Not
one OF these. however. has been established
under tho act, but the North OF England
Board OF Cancellation for tine Manufactured
Iron Trade. which was organized outside OF
tho act and before its passage, has been OF
considerable utility. In period OF seven.
teen years it adjusted some eight hundred
disputes. Tho operations OF this institu-
ton seem to show that the only kind Of
arbitration feasible is TINT which IS confilCd
to local Boards composed VI men entirely
convcrsan. with the subjects In controversy.
II was on Thursday Of last week that
purely political questions were considered
by the Congress. It. Is not generally UNDER
stood In this country that the cost Of
returning a member to the British Par.
lament is limited by statute, and that
the minimum SUN needed for the pur-
pose must BIZ paid or guaranteed before
a candidate can be voted for When
these unavoidable expenses are taken
into Wow. together with the fact hat mem.
bers o! Parliament receive no salary, the
difficulty OF sending representatives Of labor
to Westminster becomes evident. Tho Irish
Nalionalsts were in a position nearly analo.
gCus to that permanently occupied by Brit.
ish worklngmen as regards pecuniary re.
sources. and they could never have returned
81 members 10 st. Stephens and maintained
them in London, but for the contributions
from American sympathizers. 1t is obvious
that British workingmen would not and
could not accept help in the shape OF money
from the capitalist classes, and they accord.
insly recognized the payment OF members
OF Parliament as an indispensable pre-.
requisite OF the formation OF q labor party.
II seems equally manifest that the members
Of County Councils aud School Boards must
De remnnerated for their loss OF time, II
are to obtain adequate representa-.
tlon in those bodies.
1t was consequently resolved by the
Congress that at the coming general cleo.
ton the willingness Of Liberal or Con-
candidate to vote for such pay.
ments shall be made one OF the tests by
which the trade unionsts will decide
or not they will support nominee.
Another test will be the readiness to vote for
an eiEht-hour law drawn up in pursuance of
the resolution formerly mentioned.
The application Of these tests may have a
marked effect on the political complexion of
the next House OF Commons. Hitherto a
very large majority Of British artisans have
voted with tho Liberal party. Uniuckily for
the permanence OF this relation, many Of
the most influential Liberal leaders have
declared themselves against an eight-hour
law. though they would doubtless assent
cheerfully enough to the payment OF sala-
ries to members Of Parliament.
There Is. on the other hand, wing Of
the Tory pnrty--that which calls itself
cratic-Conservative-w which would SUBJ
NIT TO both tests with alacrity. In.
deed, its chief, Lord RANDOLPH CHURCH
I'LL, has sunk into position where he would |
like ARTEMUs WARD like to |
see the man he could not agree with. |
1t is possible. therefore, that the political
programme framed by the Newcastle Con.
gress may cause the Liberals to lose a good |
many constituencies upon which they have
counted, but In which the trade |
lnionists hold the balance Of power.