The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-03-29

tration fails, OF being applied In many
disputes, nor does it. as yet, sufficient
ly bind the parties to keep the peace
when used, and should change in the
state of the labor market giev one or
the other the opportunity, advantage
may be taken by either to inflict dam
age on the other.
It will be observed, however, that an
increasing number of disputes are being
settled by voluntary arbitration, and
that decreasing number of arbitra-
tors decisions are repudiated. If there
is a prospect for a continuance Of this
growth, it will be wisdom in the legis-
lators not to touch the problem of Sc
curing peace between capital and labor.
and let it solve itself, or rather, let
it be settled by evolution-the survival
of the fittest
All the most wonderful things tho
human family possess are growths,
language. the human form, etc., etc.
In the business world credit is
growth. Credit is not esta blished by
the laws for the collection Of debts.
1t rests on reputa ton more than on rat
ing. The business world had to be in
existence a long while before credit
became a feature Of it. Parties to
transactions had to become, in meas
ure, strong and well-known before loss
of credit was serious penalty.
Credit between nations shows the
same growth and the same necessary
conditions for growth. Treaties be-
tween powerful nations are now we'll
nigh inviola BILE, treaties between pow
erful and weak nations not nearly so
much so.
Treaties between capital and labor in
the past have been readily violable.
Labor was not sufficiently strong for
employers to care if the workers con-
sidered them unfaithful to agreements,
and the workers organizations were
not sufficiently permanent and respon-
sible to make credit for reliableness in
dealings of much apparent advantage
to them. But when the labor union
becomes a national and permanent body
credit becomes of value and springs
into existence, becoming a stronger
bond as the parties to the agreements
become stronger and better known to
each other AS the tendency of the
times is tc/,ards Capitalization, both Of
industry and of labor organizations,
stronger business firms and labor or
CARNATIONS can be expected in the fu-
ture, and therefore the establishment
Of credit between them on a firm, en-
during basis. With the establishment
Of credit, agreements and negotiations
will have a value which they now lack,
and will consequently be sought by
both parties.
The two principal reasons why there
has been SO great number OF battles
between capital and labor are because
many capitalists had a hope that they
would be able to impose their own
terms upon labor, completely annihil-
ating it's organization so far as it af-
fected their particular business, and
because labor in the past was too un-
reliable to be worth dealing with.
Where there was branch Of a national
organization one day there might be
an independent local body the next,
and vica versa, and an organization
might spring into existence on the
touch of a spark and die out two
weeks afterwards. With the gradual
disappearance of these reasons will
come an increase of peaceful. negotia-
tons between the parties terminating
in contracts of about the same nature
and force as contracts between buyers
and sellers Of other commodities.
This will, in all probability. be the
future Of arbitration. It may not in
every case secure peace, peace is not
desirable at any cost, but it will make
contests between capital and labor ex-
ceptional without the sacrifice Of JUS
| tice or personal liberty. The greater
destructiveness of contests, ais we'll as
the increasing weight of the penalty
of loss of credit. will tend to make ar
! bitration the most economical method
for both capital and labor, securing
peace between them by a far more po-
tent force than that of the state, as it
will be a force from within-A. F.
Stevens,