The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-23

s1ndrv me1torious plans for prevent
inc. labor strikes have been devised ana
have been put into practice by employ
ers OF labor in several branches u III
dustry with varying degrees OF success
but as a rule these plans, besides pc
ing almost purely local, have been 50
limited in their scope as to De pLS'eei't'ttS
onscured by the greater and more uhite"
ettorts of oreaulZed labor, not 10 men
lion the magnitude OF LABOR ORGANIZATIONS
The recent action OF the coal opera
tors of Illinois in Establishing q .oAi-
mission TO represent them IN dil uHl.i
cnces and disputes with the llihoiS c"''i
miners has attracted universal attcii'1oi''
coming. as il has done, almost colicui
rcntly with the great labor strike III 'ne
anthracite coal feds of Pennsylvania, anu
TOR the further reason that an INDUSTRY
cooxtersiye with the State OF Limos Is
involved and in which industry nearly
40 600 men are employed, all OF Them oW-
ing allegiance to the United Mine VOTE
ers of AmeriCa-the largest labor organ
ization in THE world.
1t is not surprising, therefore, that the
public is watching with interest TINS iat-
est novel experiment, or that it mas man
ifested a desire for detailed information
as to the motive that inspired IT, me
rules governing its operations. ana more
particularly the results thus ,ar oo'aiheO'
4 CENTRAL BODY.
Assuming hat the reader mas q general
knowledge of the Illinois coal operators
plan for preventing strikes, inc scope
of the present article Will be limited to
q brief consideration OF the plan in null
,iplied form as applied to the Sraver Ia
bor combinations and which could only
he successfully treated by national
BODY. I would suggest that these com
missioners of all the different branches
OF industry. including also labor comnis-
sioners from our great railroads ana
street railway companies as Well having
nv study and experience become experts.
they he organized into great central
body. to which would be referred grave
and weishty questions in connection win
labor such as are involved IN the 81.
Louis Railway strike, the builders and
contractors lockout in Chicago, or the
more recent troubles in the anthracite
coal field, such a body of men, repre-
senting so many and such varied inter
csts. would. collectively, possess a knoWl-
edge of every phase Of the great labor
question and having no special ends to
s,,hserye or financial interests to advance.
it would not only enjoy public confidence
in the fullest measure, but 1t wound DC
hailed hy wise and honest labor leaders
EVERYWHERE, not only as embracing in its
ranks foemen worthy of their steel, but
as SUPPLYING the influence necessary to
hold in check the rabid clement IN their
own ranks for true labor leaders who
have high and honorable aims for organ
izea lahor we'll know that the danger to
their cause is rot from without but rath-
er from those noisy members OF their
own household who have II the past ar
raved class against class. and would to-
day, if they could, make the breach be-
tween capital and labor an impossible
gulf.
II will he at once seen that this plan
nernssar;,y anticipates the creation of
commissions and the appointment Of com
missionnrs By organized bodies OF employ