The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-02-02


tration between employers and employ
es and his opinion upon labor prob
lens in general.
He is opposed to compulsory arbitra-
ton, believing it would be impractical
BILE of application in this country. He
thought, however, that the New Zea-
land scheme of arbitration, with the ell
limitation of the coercive feature of
that system, would operate effectively
in this country. He threw some light
on the beneficial effects of the contract
of employer and employee, saying that
when they discussed matters in which
both were Interested a better feeling
was the result.
At the request of the commission the
Bishop narrated his experience as a
member of the 'board of mediation and
conciiation."
He explained that this organization,
of which he had been promoter. held
no official authority to settle the diff
ferences between master and man. It
was his belief that organizations Of
the character indicated had more influ
ence than state or federal board Of
arbitration could have.
Bishop Potter drew a lesson from the
work of the board of mediation and
conciliat ton in the case Of the marble
workers strike, which, Re claimed, it
settled satisfactory both to the men
and their employers.
The witness said that the first meet
ing of the board, the marble workers
and their employers, held was at F1o-
bart Hall, New York. But this meet
ing was of flavor and character too
formal to produce the best results. The
distances between the people present
were too great. Men, to address the
| meeting, had to get up on their feet
while all eyes were upon them. This
was embarrassing to most of the work.
| ingmen, and they were not then at
their best.
"The next meeting,' said Bishop
Potter, "was held at my house. The
| men were encouraged to talk without
| reserve. We sat around table, and
| if it will not shock the commission l
will tell you that we smoked. We also
had coffee. Under these conditions 1t
| was not a difficult task to bring the
employers and their men to complete
and harmonious understanding"
| The connection of the Board Of Me-
diation and Cancellation with the strike
of the marble workers had taught him,
the witness said, several valuable les
sons. One was the lesson of greater re-
spect for the intelligence of working
men. They were quick to apprehend
/ the position of others and fair in the
statement OF their own position. They
showed disposition to be perfectly
flair and accurate, though sometimes
they Enthusiastically fell short in the
Halter particular.
zone thing I observed, said Bishop
Potter, twas that the employers, with,
as rule, greater facility of speech,
were inclined to press heavily upon
their men when they detected them in
one of the inadvertent misstatements
as to fact.
A thing I also observed was that
when a workingman finds that con-
cession on his part will be met by q
concession on the part of the employer
he is willing and quick to make the
advance.
Zone of the great forces which
keeps the various classes apart and
their relations oftcntimes strained, is
Ignorance OF each other
This is especially true in the case OF
the so-called higher classes. a large
percentage of the fashionable people in
New York know no more about the
people who live in the tenements and
work in the sweatshops than they dc
of the condition of the inhabitants OF
Borneo. They read accounts in the
newspapers of human suffering, but
these reports come to them as iron
some far-off point, and with a vague
ness that does not strike home to them
in a way which misery does when one
sees it face to face. This is perhaps ir
the order of things. When republics 0,
empires grow older and greater an(
stronger classes develop
In the matter of the organization OF
workingmen the witness said he thinks
the right of workingmcn to organize q:
they insist on doing is no longer a de
batable question. And as the right O.
organization must in all fairness bt
.. recognized then the right Of the work
, ingmen to treat with their employer!
, through the media of representative:
must also be recognized.
In reply to question by Mr.. Clarke
the witness said he thought the oppo
sition of capitalists to the organization
of workingmen is less than formerl!
and is still on the decrease.
Bishop Potter described what ar
known as college settlements" for thu
Improvement of home conditions among
working people,. The "co!leSe settle
ments," he said, is home in the mids
., of the poorest sections of great cities
where college students can go to stud!
, social problems, and where they AIS
serve the interest of the people anon,
whom they live for time by the wa.
of entertainment and through Othe
means The Bishops own work amon
the poorest people of New York showed
him that such people have all the pu
rity of thought and aspirations tina
exist anywhere. In his own work n
had never been asked for penny b.
the people among whom he 1abored
That, in itself. was. to him, an indica
ton of the character. They knew h
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