BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-12-27
SAN JUAN, DECEMBER u
Editorial Comment.

According to the papers Jnst received
from the States the National Federation oil
Labor at its convention held at Scranton,
Penn. has appointed an executive commit
tee to deal with the arbitration problem.
At the meeting was MIR. Schwab OF the
Street Trust, and many other money repre-
Sentative5.
The character eff the men chosen for the
executive committee to deal with the indus
trial arbitration problem is sufficient assu-
rance that the promoters OF labor conier
ences intend that some practical good
shall come from the meeting. IL is
fortunate for this purpose that such men as
Mr.. SchEab, Mr.. Gompers and Mr. Sargent
were present to speak csndidly from their
wholly practical points of vieE. Otherwise
there would have been danger of the confer
-ence drifting into sentimental ard Uto-
plan discussion which would have left The
impression 10 the public mind that nothing
was seriously intended to hs Gone. AS it is,
the essen slal difficulties in the way of per
feet arbitration scheme have been recoguiz
ed and pointed out unLesitatiogly. One of
the speakers at the meeting put the
case concisely when lie said that 10 one
would know where the authority OF au aTbi-
tration board would begin and where it
would end, Dor ho,o far labor and capital
would be willing 10 abide by its decisions
This has always been the weakness of me
diatory organizations in the past, and iG is
difficult to see how it could be escaped under
the new plan any more than under the pre-.
cediDg onee.
But a board of arbitration composed o;
widely representative men like those named
yesterday need not have toe powers ol
judicial tribunal to accomplish great deal
of good. In cases where disputes arose
they could serve as the medium of enlighten.
ment between the contending parties and
the outside public. They could receive and
sift the evidence on both sides and present
it with absolute clearness and impartlality
Tous the causes of strikes would be better
and more generally comprehended tdan
they ever can be under present conditions
Here is defnite step in advance which
night easily and safely be taken, and which
would be certain to have excellent results
Create an agency for giving greater public
ity to the facts in LABOR dispute, let both
labor and capital know that the truth will
he fully known, and strikes will be fewer
and more easily settled than they are now.
The reason why the great contest in the
steel industry was SO s1on settled last sum
mer was that public opinion could not help
percsiging the real facts in the case and
srrayed itself from the very outset against
the labor party.
No student of industrial history needs to
be told that public opinion has settled more
strikes than arbitration committees. The
great trouble in nearly all the corflicts o.
recent years has lain in the cloudDg Of the
issue and the befogging OF the public mind
by labor agitatOrs and the partisan press
II the truth had beeu ventilated in the frs
place many of the greatstruggles of recent
years would have either been avoided
altogether or end,d 10 their early stages
Neither labor nor capital, If they feel the
justice of their cause, should have any
hesitation sbouE helping any scheme for Civ.
ing greater publicity to the facts. So far
therefore, as the aim of the present confer
eDce has been confined to tue accomplish
ment of this practicable reeult, and has mol
wasted time in contemplating more radical
reforms, il Will have been a real success
TIE representatives. of capital, like MIR
Schwab, who do not see the necessity d
concediDg to an outside body the conduct
of their business with their employees, will
be the first to appreciate the value OF 8
permanently organized committee, whether
it poses as an arbitration board or not, which
will be bound to inform the public impair
italy Of the facts in labor dispute.
Secretary Roofs refusal to postpone the
Cuban election set for December 81 Is ex-
tremely crfditabIe both to himself and Ii
the Administration. 1t will be unsatisfac
tory only to the MaGo party, which had
hoped to bring about delay, and it will
not confirm the Generals followers in their
belief that there is to be governments Il inter
ference in tho election. That there has been
some partisanskip d splsyed by Cuban Office
holders is altogether probable Secretary
Root, however, takes this opportunity 10
resffirm the Intentions Of tur GoyerSmept
to get out Of Olba at the earliest possible
moment, and to permit no delay in the pro-
gram except FIR the simost weighty and
tubstantjal reagons,. As to the specific
charge brought by Mr.. Fidel G. Pierrs, the
representative Of the Maso interests, Mr.
Root points out that the political bias in favor
Of ene candidate fusn shes no ground for over
tnrIiag the complicated election machinery
erected by the Constitutional Convention.
He believes that to be false theory Of of
ficial responsibility which assumes that men
10 places Of public trust will be guilty Of
malieasance because they prefer one candid
ate to another. Most effective Of 81 il
Secretary Roots denomination that com
pliance with Mr.. Pierrh's request would bel
tie very inieifefence in ihe Cuban electi0n
yain't HI ID the Maso party has sIl alooe|
pfolfstel. The Secretary q admirable letter