The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-04-22
To Prevent Strikes.

ARbH i'll May, II present plans
- prevail. a committee of dis
tingtishcd men. including
Bishop Potter, Seth Low,
Felix Adler. Samuel Gompers, Henry
White. John Mitchell and Frank +.
Sargent. will meet in New York. under.
the auspices of the National civic Fed
Grafton, to devise plans by which
strikes on a large scale can be avcrted.
There will be an universal hope that
| their deliberations may be successful
in this connection it may not be
amiss TO cite the conclusions reached
by Henry ID. Lloyd concerning the New
Zealand compulsory arbitration law
which Just now is the basis of most
efforts to right the strike evil by legis-
lation:
% strikes and lcckouts have been stopped.
t2D Wages and terms have been fixed so that
manufacturers can make their contracts ahead
without fear Of disturbance
90 Workingmcn. too, knowing that their in
come cannot he cut down. and having no fear
of being locked out. can marry. buy land. build
homes.
ca Disputes arise continually. new terms are
fixed, but industry goes on without intcrrup-
tcn.
CO 80 factory has hcen closed by the act
,i) The country is more prosperous than ever
90 The awards Of the arbitration court fix a
standard Of living which other courts accept in
deciding cases affecting workingmcn
(S) Awards made by compulsory arbitration
| arc often renewed by voluntary agreement when
they expire.
C) Trade unions arc given now rights. and
are called upon Ia admit all competent work
ingmcn in the trade
,ln) Compusion in the background makes con-
ciIiaton easier.
uD Compulsory publicity gives the public,
the real arbitrator, all the facts OF every dis
putc.
(i2) Saaricd classes well as wagc.carncrs
are claiming the benefits of arbitration.
(l3) Pcaccable settlement with their men has
been made possible .or the maioritcs of the
employers who wanted to abitratc, but were pre-
vented by niinoritics of their associates.
Nil Labor and capital are being organized
into trade unions and associations instead OF
| mohS and monopolsts.
u5) Trade honesty is promoted by the exposure
and prevention of frauds on the public.
C1d) Humane and law-abiding business mccn
seek the protection of tho law TO save them
selves from destruction by the competition of
inhumane and law.brcaknr rivals.
u7) The weak and strong are cpnnlizcd both
among capitalists and workingncn.
llS) The victory is given as nearly rs possible
to the right instead Of the wrong. in war.
! ,l9) The concentration Of wealth and power
| is checked
CO The distribution Of wealth is determined
| along lines Of reason, Justice and the greatest
need. instead OF along lines Of the greatest
greed
C2D Democracy is strengthened by these
cqualizations.
COY II furnishes the people their only cheap
speedy and untechnica justice. =
These conclusions are oVer-ent th,lst-
astic Until human nature changes, no
such wonderful approximations to per-
feet institutions may be expected in
New Zealand or elsewhere. But there
can be little doubt that the compulsion
of public opinion, il not the statutory
| mandate of a compulsory arbitration
law, must be put forth to discourage
| the brutalities and savage wastes of
| strikes and 10 substitute the civilized
method Of adjusting differences by jul
dicial processes.
Alton d. Adams, an electrical en-
giileer of Boston. has been telling the
Industrial commission that municipal
owned electric light plants in Massa-
chusetts pay better profits and are
hetter unanurpd than pIiVatc-oWnod