Evening star., 1900-09-18
COMPULSORY ARBITRATION
GIVEN BEFORE THE IN
DUSTRIAL COMMISSION TODAY.
Mr.. Gilbert. President of the New York
state Board, Gives His
Views.

Mr. JamsS Nj. Gilbert, president ot tle
board of mediation and arbitration OF New
York. was before the industrial commission
today.
Mr.. Gilbert said he of the opinion
that the most rational solution OF ianof
differences lies in the making OF aSree-
ments between employer and emploEe' ng
which all disputes shall be referred Tor SET
Element TO boards of reconciliation, made
up in part of employees and i'll part OF en-
rIoyera. This method of settling strikes
presupposes the right on the part OF work
ing men TO organize. their right to know
the facts concerning the true cohdluoh ol
the trade which may be involved and their
equality as men with their employers.
Compulsory Arbitration.
81 believe in the principle of compulsory
arbi,ration" MI. Gilbert said, The con-
suncr and the public are interested In the
enterprises of employers and employees ana
disturbances between them, which become
a public meuace, are a proper subject ior
control on the Fart of the public
''The usual argument against the pfihclple
is that It's enforcement would be IN VIOLA
ton of the personal rights OF one or polh
of the parties inteYsted but IL IL ai
everyday occurrence for people 10 suDnht
their differences to interpretation OF laws
sion A compulsory arbitration board
would be clothed with the authority OF a
court and it does not seem to me 'here
would be less readiness TO acquiesce IN lts s
decisions than there is in the decisions Oh
other courts Employers are now IN many
cases compelled to submit against their
wishes To tie force of trades unions or go
out of business. and employees are com
pelled to accept the wages ana cohul'ioli9
forced upon them by capital
1T is not reasonable TO suppose that they
would both be ready to accept the decisions
of an impartial arbitration board before
which they have had a hearing. Ihe great
objection to compulsory arbitration boaruS'
however is that there is little pupic sehtle
ment in their favor The great majority OF
the workingmen in New York state, AT
least have not been forced by hard eX-
periences to see the necessity or eNpeoi,
ency of such law, and a law "hlch hau
no public sentiment at It's back "ouio DC d
dead letter" ,
The witness thought there was a good
deal of public sentiment in favor of com
pulsory arbitration in the case or corpora
lions which derive rights and franchises
from the public.
As to state Arbitration.
.t believe" he said that state boatuS oi
arbitration in the present CONDITION Oh ia
bor affairs have a place which entltleS Iheii
to consideration. Their organization Is Il
recognition on the part of the state OF the
principle of arbitration ana HheuidI Iioli'
Those who are at all familiar with the
work of the New York state board must
recognize the fact that 1t has been OF great
service in settling labor differences us
offices have been almost entirely In the Ill
rection of mediation, and even In cases
where the board has not directly e1ecteu
settlements their efforts have been OF serE-
ice In the final determination. In the year
1899 there were 400 strikes in New York
state. OF this number the board took part
in seventy-three and settled twenty. There
were 5315 employees involved in t4e strikes
settled by the board and 1900 involved in
| the strikes which the board attended OH
ciaIly
Our statistics showing the number of
strikes during the year cover every lock-
out which came to our knowledge, however
small OF the total number more than 2io
lasted less than d week and more than
20 per cent lasted less than three days.
give these figures TO show why the board
did not give official attention to more of
them, Many of them We're settled before
we had knowledge of them. The seventy
three str !kes which the board attendeu were
the principal strikes of the year. There
was an increase of 20 per cent in the num-
Der of strikes in 1859 over 1898, and in the
current year the proportion of increase
over 1898 has been about the same From
January / to September l of this year there
were 80 strikes, % per cent of which are
for higher wages or shorter hours In both
years the strikes took place on rising
labor market and were in the main sue
! ftr1