The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-01-02
y \
LABOR ARBITRATION
Progress of the French Law
' for Settling the GrieV-
ances of Workingmen.
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
Reports of the United States Con-
sular Agents Show That the
Scheme Is Acceptable to
Both Parties.
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS

taGfoad, "a repoFs ShoWihs tAteA p
Of arbi4ration f. method OF setting
strikes n Fray Towards the close o.
the yea 1872 !s French Chamber .s,,,, sa
Rsa Reesea . a : Isa law in confilsts between en-
{ploS q and workmen."
The act conternplates the voluntary
lsubmIssion by the parties interested OF
the Question at issue between them bear
ing on the condition of labor, first to
Comnhittee on Cancellation, consisting OF
chosen by the respective parties
and Secondly in case of failure to agree
on the part of such committee, to
COUNCIL of Arbitration.
Ths proceedings may be initiated by
eithar party, or in case of a strike, upon
the invitation of the Justice of the Peace
OF. the district or canton: but. in all cases
the agreement of both parties to submit
the question is essential. 1t should be
borne in mind that the Office of Justice
Of the Peace" in France as well as in
England is one Of much higher dignity
and responsibility than the position
bearing the same name in the United
States.
THE PROCESS.
The process is substantially as follows:
with the Justices of the Peace, written
declaration setting forth the names, pro-
fessions and domicile of the petitioners
and of the persons to whom the pro-
posal for conciliation or arbitration IS
TO be addressed; the subject matter or
the conflict with a detailed statement
Of the motives or reasons alleged by the
respective parties, and the names, pro-
fessions and donicile of the delegates
chosen by the petitioners to assist or
represent then. The nuaaber of dele
gates cannot exceed five and they must
be citizens of France. The Justice Of
the Peace thereupon causes notice to be
served on the adverse parties. An answes,
to this notification must be filed Within
three days, failure to do SO being
taken as refusal to submit the matter
in controversy. If$he proposition is ac-
cepted by the adverse parties they must
state in their answer the names, pro-
fessions and domicile of the delegates;
these delegates being subject, OF course,
to the same provisions in relation to the
number and citizenship as those chosen
by the petitioners. After the acceptance
is filed the Justice invites the parties or
of Cancellation" The meetings OF the
committee are presided over by the JUS
tice. If an agreement is reached 0y tfle
committee 1t is reduced to- writing by the
Justice and signed by the parties or
delegates. In the event of q disagree
rent in committee, arbitrato-s are chosen
on moth 4o Whah f tbs
traitor or referee, who will have the
casting yo.s; If they cannot anfar asrse Te upon n
clare the fact in writing and thereupon5
such declaration being transmitted oy
the Justice to the President of the Civil
Court, the latter will appoint Such
DECISION OF THE DISPUTE.
The decision of the dispute drawn up
and signed BY the aroitra1ors siH IS retea anW "a
each of the parties and addresses an
other. through the Prefect of the Depart
ment, to the Minister of Commerce and
Industry.
In the case of strike. if the initiative
has not been taken by any of the parties
interested, the Justice OF the Peace, by
ployers and workmen, or their repre-
sentatives, to make known to him with
in three days, the subject matter OF the
controversy, with a detailed statement
of the motives or reasons alleged, their
acceptance or refusal OF Cancellation or
arbitration, and the names, professions
and domicile of the delegates chosen, II
any If the invitation of the Justice is
regular course.
It will be noticed that under the law.
recourse to its provisions is purely yolun-
tary, the intention and scope of the act
being to furnish a method of adjustment
not TO prescribe a remedy. As to the en-
forcement of the decision of the council
to be assumed that il case of a refusal
to comply the injured party would be re-
mitted to his civil suit for damages.
The recent publication of the report of
lt-~ 1f 15-a a1f .,N 1l
dressed to the Minister Of Commerce and
Industry, affords an opportunity for judg-
ing the practical operation of the law.
appears 1eRas that during % that year there re- were
e34 strikes, and that proceedings under
the provisions of the act were initiated
in 100 instances-in all but seven Of these
Instances a strike having been previously
declared In Sc cases the application
came from the workmen. in i've from
the employers, in two from the employ
Justice of the Peace intervened in the
remaining &c. The result of these 1903 in
vocations of the law of arbitration was
- ioiiO WORK RESUMED.
In thirteen cases work was resumed be-
fore the law could be applied In eight
OF these thirteen cases the Justice had
intervened and In five the application
five other cases the resort to Cancellation
was justified by refusals to submit, thir-
- ffacECf .tltrts 1Ht-a~ s~7r11
the employers six from the workmen
and two from both sides. IN the thirty
seven Instances of refusal by employers,
the application had been made by the
workmen IN twenty-eight cases and the
Justice Rad interviewed in nine. In the
six instances of refusal by workmen, the
application had been made by the enn-
pioyers three times, the Justice interven-
Ing in the other three.
In the fifty-one remaining cases. COM
mttees of conciliation were constituted
and In thirty instances a satisfactory
solution was obtained a conclusion being
reached by the committee in twenty-five
cases and by subsequent arbitration in
five. In nine of these proceedings the
demands of the workmen We're granted;
In three, refused and a compromise deci-
sion was reached in eighteen. The twen-
ty-ore other submissions failed of any,
practical result, one because two success
sive referees appointed by the Presidents
of the Civil Court declined to serve, two
because the workmsn refused to ratify
of refusal by one side or both to
consent to a council of arbitration or
the appointment of referee. The Con-
sui has been unable to obtain any figures
in relation to arbitration for the past
year, but the Director of the Office of
Labor, in recent report to the Minister
Of Commerce and Industry states that
up to the time of writing, September l.
1894, the recourse to the law had beens
larger in proportion to the number of
strikes than during 1891.
Keep vour blood pure and healtAy and You