The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1900-12-29
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l. F. OF l.. CONVENTION CONDEMNS
!: COMPULSORY :ARBITR ALTON.

COMPULSORY :ARBITR ALTON.
IA Strong and Able Trentise of In.
voluntary Arbitration-The Con
vention Concluded That it Would
Destroy Individual Liberty-It Pre-
vents Strikes by Pnhishtng the
Striker.
1t was arranged at the, American
Federation of Labor convention held
in Louisville that a committee should
consider the question of compulsory
arbitration and submit resolution
that the convention might go on record.
The committee went most fully into
it's work and reported at great length,
and we herewith print it in full.
:: 4:.. r. Louisville. KY,
=: Dec. "A, 1900.
TO the. Officers and Members of the
Twentieth Annual Convention of the
American Federation Of Labor:
:, Gentlemen: Your special commit
tee, to, which; was referred that part of
the presidents report dealing with
compulsory arbitration" begs toesub-
nit the following: =:
We are in full accord with the presid-
ent, when in substance, he says that
the right to quit work, at any time,
and for any reason sufficient Ito. the
worker. himself. is the. concrete ex-
preston Of individual liberty.
Liberty has been defined as right to
freely move from place to place; hence
any curtailment of this right by and
through law, or by and through con-
tract enforced by law, is, in fact, a
negation of liberty, and return to
serfdom.
We have had before us 1.-THE Indus
trial Cancellation and Arbitration Law
of New Zealand 1.-THE Law Creating
and Governing the Indiana Labor Com
mission and Arbitration Board, copied
from laws of 1897, and issued by the
Indiana Commissioners; and the Ar
bitration Law of Illinois, as we'll as
IAN Act Concerning Carriers Engaged
in Interstate Commerce, and Their
Employees, approved June l, 1898,
along with such other information
from this and European countries, as
was available at this time; and we find
that the kernel of all this species of
legislation is desire to prevent strikes
by Furnishing the strikers.
Our existing form of society is, un-
questionably based upon manufacture,
commerce and transportation, and any,
thing which disturbs the industries is
resented, and means are sought to pre-
vent a reoccurence and to clothe it, in
such a garb that public opinion will
accept It and permit of. it's execution.
Dealing with this matter more special
Y Ea o. sast ses d ~ ssIsaa .ss
with power to use their bgssat Sin
bringing the contend ling parties togeth-.
er' and in causing them to make some
agreement. This failing, it goes, upon
the demand of one of the contending
parties, before the. Industrial Court.
which has the same powers as any 9TH
er court, namely, to hear and deter
mine; and the award-sentence-i
enforced by the state in the usual way,
by fines or Imprisonment, or both, the
only distinction being that the trial by
jury is dispensed with, and an appeal
denied: The only. relieving feature
about this law, is, that individuals ca n
AAOC NAeAAA 4S9 PAOSCNIAOAs ASAOA AAu0(
voluntarily enter into a labor union or
association, in order to come under it's
provisions; hence, at least a semblance
of individual liberty is left, but we are
of the opinion that it is destructive of
the right of combination and of actual
Individual liberty, because those who
consent to arbitration by joining such
organizations have the power to bin
all the rest.
The industrial courts of France are
as we understand it, organized much
in the same way
The: bill to prevent strikes, which
was introduced lin the German Reich
stag, at the instance Of the government
had the. same underlying motive, and
practically the same way of attaining
its purpose. ......
The law adopted by the Hungarian
Diet, and which provides that agricul-
tural workers must make agreements
for specific terms of service (and that
where such specific agreements are not
made, they: shall be implied, also pro-
Vides that any violation of the agree
ment shall subject the offending party
to Imprisonment. Again we meet the
same. purpose-to prevent strikes by
Furnishing the striker.
The question of extending the master
and servant laws of Sweden, to the in
dustrial workers of that country, was
under discussion in the Swedish Ricks-
DAG. and was -Hercely combatted. by the
lovers Of liberty. In that country. It was
however. finally; passed, and the Swed-
ish government the other day crushed
q strike on the electric tramways in
Stockholm, by arresting and sentencing
the Il leaders vfy 3 to long terms Of imprison-
ment. ',1'@ - -
Coming. row, to our own country,
We find that. a bill was introduced in
congress which. would admit of every
train being made a. mail-train, and
which, under. the. postal laws: would
have subjected strikers in railroad
transportation to Imprisonment for de-
laying the mails: Through the efforts
Of the railroad brotherhoods and the
American Federation Of Labor the bill
failed. Then followed the introduction
Of the. olney Arbitration bill, which
provided for arbitration voluntarily in
submission or" in it's initatory stages,
but compulsory In obedie nee to the
award; that is; the award was to be