The Washington times., 1902-10-20
ADVOCATES PERMANENT
BOARD OF ARBITRATION
Rev. F. M. Bristol Discusses
Labor and Capital
AMERICA BEHIND THE TIMES
Minister Draws Lesson From Fact That
England Is Free From
Strikes.
AMERICA BEHIND THE TIMES

Probably 1,500 men and women attend
ed the strike services conducted by
the Rev. Frank NJ. Bristol at the Met
rcpolitan Episcopal Church last even
ing. Mr.. Bristol talked on arbitration,
and the Miners Glee Club furnished
portion of the music.
CARRIED in their blue denim jackets,
their mining caps fitted with little
miners lamps lying beside their chairs.
they presented a unique picture for the
choir loft of fashionable church, and
the music they furnished would have at
tracted attention because of its excel
lence in any house of worship. A fea-
ture of the miners portion of last even
ings services was their singing of a
Mckinley memorial song, the words OF
which were written by William W. Ham
burger. of this city.
DR.. Bristol's Lecture.
DR.. Bristol delivered a straightfor-
ward talk on arbitration. He argued
that if two or more great nations can
come to an agreement by talking their
case over, two little institutions like a
coal mine and labor union can surely
do the same thing. DR.. Bristol did not
advocate that arbitration be made COM
pulsory by Federal or State law: in
fact. he deprecated this idea. He inti-
mated that such course might fail, and
urged strongly the necessity for arbi-
tration upon friendly voluntary and hu-
name principles.
I'm England said he. there has not
been a serious strike for years. This
is not because of any radical change in
the law, but because the employer and
the laborer have come to realize that
this is the best way to settle their diff
torn from end to end by riots which re-
suited from strikes. Why should Amer
lea. which is so far superior to all
other nations in everything else, be ten
or twenty years behind England in deal
ing with the strike problem.
Arbitration Before Strike.
pulso.y. There are no strikes, and in
dustrial conditions are generally salts
factory. But New Zealand is small
country Systems that are perfect there
would be total failures here. Arbitra-
tion must come with the consent and de-
sire of the laborer and the capitalist,
and 1t must come, not after the strike,
but before II. After the strike has been
running several months. after millions
of dollars have been lost, after -hou-
sands upon thousands of strikers have
suffered, after the general public has
been threatened with starvation or
freezing, and after the operators have
lost millions of dollars, is no time for
rbitr,tion-although, of course, it is
better that arbitration should come then
than not at all. But the time to arbi-
trate is when the capitalist is dissatis-
fed with his labor. or the laborer dis
satisfied with his wage. Without the
loss of days work the differences
should be adjusted.
A Permanent Institution.
1T is my opinion that the commission
recently appointed by President Roose-
velt to arbitrate the coal strike in
Pennsylvania, or similar commission,
should be a permanent institution in
America. The details as to the organi-
zation and duties of such commission
should be worked out by those most In
terested. l will not undertake to say
just what commission should or should
not do, but will say that it should ex-
list always and should be empowered to
settle all difficulties between capital and
labor whenever the interest of the gen.
eral public is at stake
DR.. Bristol cited a number of statis-
tics showing the good that had come
of arbitration in this country and in
other countries.