The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-12-21
GOMPERS AND LUSK AT CIVIC
FEDERATION.
ENGAGED IN LIVELY TILT
Difference of Opinion on Compul-
sorry Arbitration Caused
Heated Debate.

on arbitration and Cancellation, which
passed into industrial history with its
adjournment tonight, was %enlivened
during the day by a debate between
Samuel Gompers, president Of the
American Federation of Labor, and
Hugh Lusk, ex-member of parliament
of New Zealand.
The venerable New Zealander dur
ing the forenoon turned aside from
his prepared address to express his dis
pleasure at a declaration made by
Gompers in his address last night.
The labor leader on the occasion men
toned asserted that he wanted to see
labor organizations retain the privi-
lege Of striking when they pleased,
why they pleased, Or merely because
they pleased.
"That is not liberty" cried Lusk.
'It is license At this moment Com
pers entered. The speaker proceeded:
Mr.: Gompers wants Cancellation and
he says you can never have any con
Citation unless you are ready to cut
another's threats. Well, if that
is the unfortunate position Of the peo-
pie OF the United States I am sorry
for them. We are not 80 anxious to
cut one another s Threats where ! came
from. I wish Gompers had taken the
trouble to find out what our compul-
sorry arbitration law is before he told
you about it, but as he has not, / am
obliged to do it for him."
During the afternoon Gompers Sc
cured the stage and reiterated his as.
sertions of the night previous. "We
DON'T he declared, "clutch each
others ,throats unnecessarily, but
would rather have the right to clutch
at a mans throat than to have my
arms amputated. A compulsory arbl'
tration law is equivalent to the
amputation referred to. I want tc
have the strength of a giant, but tt
use that stength gently"
Following this, two speeches were
sandwiched in, and then Lusk agar
secured the floor. He explained al
length the workings of the arbitration
court of New Zealand, generally talk
ing straight at the labor president.
you'd cut my arms off in your
country said Gompers, speaking
from his seat.
eff you were good we would no
amputate your arms,' replied the
New Zealander, ''but we might en-
large your head"
A lively exchange of questions ant
answers which ~bewildered the audi
ence followed. Lusk explained tina
during the hearing of q dispute be
tween employer and his unionizet
employees neither side could, under
penalty, change the conditions which
caused the appeal to the arbitration
court. A hearing, during which
neither side had the right to indepen
dent action, generally lasted about
month. y
cpd rather be at swords points il
America, and independent, than t,
surrender my right to strike for on
minute, " shouted Gompers, and will
that he left the hall.
Aside from the thrusts between
these two men, and they took up con
siderable time, there were numerou
speeches all favoring voluntary arbi
t~ration. Even Lusk declared tina
America was not ready for compulsor.
arbitration.
At the evening session the commit
tee on resolutions submitted it's repor
which was adopted. The resolution
recognize the fact that compulsor.
arbitration, aside from all other objec
tions urged against it, is not at thi
time a question of practical indus
trial reforms and that such systems a
are now in vogue do not seem t
fully meet the requirements Of differ
ent interests The resolutions fur
Their recommend that the presiding
officer of the conference appoint
committee to serve for one year to b
composed Of six representatives of tn
employer class and six of the employ
class, to be selected as nearly as con
sistent from different sections of tn
country, for the purpose Of formulat