BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-03-10
SANJUAN, MARCH 10
4 New Scheme To Avoid
Labor Troubles

There has never been time when any
scheme for securing better relations between
capital and labor, and especially for avoid
ing 0 recourse to strikes and lock0pts, was
20 sure of sympathetic attention as now.
TIE world has grown aosary OF the suffering
ianctsd upon It, as well as upon the parties
lsnmsdistely concerned, vhen differences
esd in bitter controversies. and it has be-
come convinced that there must be some
better way of settling such disputes than by
Hghts.
Hopeful progress is now being made with
. plan for establishing central court of set
tlement and appeal for employers and en-.
ployees in the various building trade of New
York city. There a,e dozens Of tks Sc
trades-oarpenters, mssons, iron-workers,
s.one-workers. Plumbers, plastsrers, and so
sp; indeed, the outsider must be surprised
to learn how many different kinds of oc
eupation there are which have to do, in one
way or another, with building operators
The number Of employers reaches high into
the thousands Of w0rkmen. The establish
ment Of any system whieh would secure
peace and harmony In this great army
would const quently be an event Of the frst
importance in the industrial world.
Perhaps the most serious obstacle to the
securing and msintenance Of the right rela-
tions has been the lack OF any machinery for
preventing . difference from ending in q
STRIFE before an attempt st arbitration is
nsde, The employees ''get mad" and stop
work, or the employees say that they ''caL't
stand suck nonsense" and order q lockout;
each sida feels indignant at the other, and
does not want to be the frst to back down;
II arbitration is proposed, it 10 hard to agree
Hpoa terms and to secure the proper re-
ieFess; and the controversy drags on for
weeks, quite likely to end in no material
gain for the party which prscipitated tie
troRble.
The fundamental feature of the present
scheme 10 the establishment Of Q perm anent
bedy for tho settlement of all questions as
they afise-A body constituted when both
sides are cool, and considering issues sub.
mittsd by people who still remain cool.
This "central court of settlement and ap.
peaw 10 to have three salaried members,
chosen for term OF not less than three
years, who will be the nucleus Of larger
body of nine men, six OF whom will be con.
stantly shifting One of the central three
is to be chosen BY the workmen in the
various building trades, aeting through q
committee; the second BY the employ ers,
acting In the same fashio"; and the third by
these two. 1t is hoped and expected that
Men Of good ability and high standing will
be secured for these positions, as their sork
would seem attractive and their pay would
- liberal. Whenever question should be
raised In any trade-as, for example, the
painters-ths three permanent members Of
t5s court would be reinforced BY three men
representing the employers and three rep.
rsssnting the employees In this trade, max.
Ing nine in all. These six Temporary
members would bring expert knowledge Of
the special conditions affecting their trade
% supplement the grasp OF general princi
plss affecting all trades possessed by the
three who sit permanently. The nine would
decide, Say, the terms on which the employ.
Ing painters and their employees should
work for the coming year, and then these
ok temporary members would withdraw, to
b replaced BY six representing the carpen.
tsTs, six scho should act for the plasterers,
and 90 on. When oil trades have thus
been through the court, announcement will
b made Of every agreement that has been
reached, and these agreements will be the
sals By which ell seh0 have to do ,oith build
Ing operations, ~ employers and employed,
are 70 BE- governed for the next tselyemonth.
Should any controversy arise 40 to whether
either side in any trade is living up to the
agreement, recouse would at one be had to
the court. II, for instance, the steam fitters
should think they had grievance against
their employers, their three special repre-
ssntativss, with the three representing
their employers, would join the Standing
three, and the nine would render their deci.
slen after hearing all the evidence and coE.
sldeTing the merits of the ease. Meanwhile
she employers in every trade would be
pledgsd not to order . lockout and the
weFkmeu not to order = strike, 80 that the
asvsIopmsnt Of controversy need cause no
ntsrruption Of wort or inconvenience to the
public.
TAs proposed court would have no legal
anfher1ty. It would depend solely upon
moral influence for the execution Of its |
DEGREES. But it il believed that . hearty
asoeptancs Of the scheme BY both sides In |
sn ef the many trades would give such |
weight 70 any decision Of the body that
neither SIDE to dispute submitted TO itl
uould challenge its authority. Tks develop.
nsnt Of the plan was inuHstsd, some months
80, - Mr, William 81. Saywsrd, . We |.
kaewn prsoncal bald r and public-spirited
cifisen Of Boston, who organised the Natio.
l,l Association Of BaiIlers, Of which be |
= nov lis Secretary. He has had experl-
nes y tpsh Nork = be 4 noH doing, kaY- !.