New-York tribune., 1901-05-08
A BOARD OF ARBITRATION.
ONE TO BE ORGANIZED AT A MEETING
OF CAPITAL AND LABOR TONIGHT.

The permanent organization of an arbitration
board by whose mediation it is hoped labor
questions may he solved and strikes averted is
10 be effected tonight at mass meeting at
Cooper Union. The meeting will he held under
the auspices of the committee on industrial con-
ciliation Of the National Civic Federation.
Preliminary TO the meeting tonight. public
session held yesterday at the Chamber Of
Commerce. The conference was remarkable in
that il brought together around a common beard
the representatives Of the great labor organiza-
tions of the country the heads Of finance and
the leaders in the religions world. who often
called 70 act peacemakers IN labor dis
putes
Among those who spoke at the meeting in the
interest OF IA sbor We're John Mitchell president
Of the United Mine Workers Of America; T. J.
Shaffer. president Of tho Amalgamate6 Iron and
Steel Workers Association. William H. Pfahler.
representing three national labor organizations
Martin Fox president Of the National Moulders'
Union and Herman Justi. commissioner Of the
Illinois Coal Operators Association. The inter
ests OF capital Were represented by or, ~l1S r.
Flint and Abran s. Hewitt The former spoke.
The latter sent a letter. The church ar
bitter in such disputes was represented by
Bishop Potter. who delivered address, and
Cardinal Gibbons from whom letter was read.
The afternoon session preceded by a
ported plans by which q permanent organiza-
ton might be perfected. The morning session
was held at Cooper Union.
Samuel Gompers presided at the afternoon
meeting at the Chamber of Commerce Bishop
Potter. the first speaker. said in part:
Most inspiring is the growth Of the principle
Of mediation and arbitration. The head Of what
is considered the greatest corporation in this
country some time ago told me- in speaking OF
the successful efforts Of Mr. Nelson in Kentucky
in bringing about cooperation between labor
and capital: Il would rather have achieved
what he has achieved than be the president OF
this large corporation That statement on MS
part is more eloquent in bearing me out In what
/ have just said than any other words that
could speak,
The Bishop warned against overorganization.
John Mitchell was the next speaker. He said
that he recognized that there were three sides
70 all labor troubles, the public being the third
PARTY He was therefore firm believer in the
justice of arbitration. and had no fear of the
result, inasmuch as the public generally gave
its sympathy TO the party wronged
Charles r. Flint said in part:
The work which is being done in the cheap
labor countries by manual labor is being per
formed in the United States by labor saving
machinery. with the result that our productive
capacity is equivalent TO that of n country with
a population five times a great ours.
The only danger to American industry is a
possible conflict between capital and labor. The
result of such a conflict would be disastrous 10
both.
meeting Of this character is certainly wise
to take measures to guard against any possible
misunderstanding which might threaten the
greatest industrial evolution the world has ever
known With reason and confidence both
sides such conflict between labor and capital
is impossible.
Herman Justi said that in Illinois there were
agreements between employer and employe in
the coal industry, by which strikes had been
averted.