The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-19
We l)LD ENLARGE
GOMPER5' HEAD.
Lively Tilt Between Labor President
and New Zealand Delegate.
VOLUNTARY OR COMPULSORY.
mfr. I,usk Favored the Latter Mode oil
Arbitration. but All othcr
Speakers We're Unequi'o-
cnlly Opposed TO 1t.
VOL UNIARy OR COMPULSORY.
%, associated Prcss.)

CHICAGO. Dec. 1S.-The conference on
arbitration and conciliation- which passed
,,.o Industrial history with its ADJOURN
mon, to-,light, was en3ivencd during the
day by a deoa;e between Samuel Com
,,ers president OF The American! Federal
zion or Labor. and Hugh II Lusk, es-
member If Parliament Of New Zealand
,,r,., venerable New Zeala,rier took excep
lion tn MIR. Go.nrers' declaration last
might hat he wanted TO see labor organi-
za+,eas reta3., the privilege of striking
When they pleased, why they pleased, or
merely because they pleased.
That is TOT liberty cried Mr. Iush,
'1t is license.
MIR. tiompcrs wants conciiiation' and
he says you can never have any concilia-
lion ,raless you are ready 10 cut one an
others throats. Well. if that is the nnfor-
t,,,,ate condition OF the people of America,
am sorry for them.
During The afternoon Mr.. Sompers Sc
cured the stage and reiterated his asser-
tin,,S. I'VE 90 no:" he ,isclared, clutch
ench others throa1s unnecessarily. but /
would rather have the right TO clutch at d
mans throat than 10 have my arms am
putatcd The compulsory law is enuiNa-
len. 10 the anDuiation referred TO- want
labor to have the strength of Il giant, pul
70 use that strength gently
Later mir i.usk again secured the floor.
He explained Al length the workings OF
the arbitration court Of New Zealand
generally talking straight at the labor
president. You'd cut my arms oil IN your
colntry?'' auerded Mr.. Gompers.
,y-nJ-I Il, {.yNI "A f2f,II HIS HEAD.
IF YOU wee-l good We would not ampu-
tate your arms. replied the Ne" Ieaiah-
der. .but we might enlarge your head
A lively exchange of questions and an
swers. which bewildered the audience, fol-
lowed.
Mr. Lrsk explained that during the
hearing of a dispute between employer
and his ;Imionized employees neither side
could. under penalty. change the condi-
lions which caused the appeal 10 the Ar
bitration Court The hearing. during waich
neither side lad the right to independent
action. generally lasted about a month
I'D rather be at swords points in Amer
J lea, and independent, than 10 surrender
my right to strike for one minute,
Shouted Mr. Gompefs.
There were numerous speeches. all fay-
oring voluntary arbitration Even Nh
lllIsl5 declared that America was not
ready for compulsory arbitration.
Mr. Iusk s speech, which was the hrst
of the conference to unequivocally- favor
compulsory arbitration. pictured the sue
cess OF the system in New Zealand and
created deep interest.
Warren A Reed. chairman Of the Mas:
sachusetts State Board OF Arbitration and
Cancellation, followed Mr. Lusk.
1iORSE-STZNSE.
G. Watson French, vicepresident OF tht
Republic Iron and Steel Company. fav-
ored voluntary arbitration. Once vol
urnary arbitration IS proved practicable
we may trust the open mind. the human
fly and the 'horse-sense' of the American
peorle to do the rest
Addresses were made by Edgar a
Asand. member of the Executive BOARD
b ST tho Glass Bottle Blowers Association
Frederick II. RaEley, of the Marble Man
ufarturers Association. and Frank Brch,
Rna,'- president of the Bridge and Struc-
tural Iron Workers.
Benjamin WHEELER president Of the
University Of California, declared that