Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-06-22
mlTcHELL's STRIKE REMEDY.
Organization of Employers and En-
pIyoes and Joint AGREEMENTS

New York, June 22.-John Mitchell
president of the United Mine Workers
has remedy for strikes. He would
have associations of employers as well
as trades unions Incorporated. Then
he would have the interested orglniZa
tons get together and make joint con-
tracts covering all points in controV-
tersy. Mr.. Mitchell outlines his idea in
an article in the World. in which he
takes cheering view of the labor sit
uation. He says
The labor problem is how to permit
the laboring man to participate in the
worlds march toward higher plane
of civilization. Can this be done with
on, strikes Ii can, and very easily.
The ground work of all labor agitation
lies In the fact that the interests of
labor and capital are not Identical.
They have reciprocal interests, but
there is "A lack of sympathetic cooper
alton that allows Observation-Disclosures
to creep in and widen into great
breaches that should only be little
jar.
"A move in the right direction is the
incorporation of the employer bodies,
and the organization of trades unions.
This move has been talked about by
employers and has been discussed fav-
orably by the public. The laboring
men have their unions regularly and
legally incorporated, but not one of
the great concerns like the Metal
Trades Association, the Type Founders
Association, or even the great Manu-
facturers' Association. has a legal eX-
|istence. Doctors ministers. lawyers
and others have associations for their
protection. but the laborng man is the
only one so far to give his union le-
gal standing. This brings me to a dis
cussion of remedy for strikes.
Let the employers organize and
settle all their disputes with labor in q
tons. There is no instance in the his
tory of labor unions where a joint con-
tract has ever been violated. The labor
unionist regards such things as sacred.
In my union we have an iron-clad rule
that its laws and constitution shall be
subordinate to joint agreements. They
must stand.
N"There are a great many people who
believe that the strike is q relic of the
past age. That is not so. The strike
is really part and parcel of the develop
ment of the highest civilization. There
are no strikes in barbaric countries.
America in the greatest degree rep
resents the advance of civilization. an.
as q consequence there are more strikes
in America than in any country on
earth.
why does the laboring man strike
ITO insure that his condition shall
keep pace with the improvement in
civilization. He will continue to strike
Just so long as our civilization contin-
ues to improve. unless he takes the
place in the nations progress he covets
and is entitled to. People want better
things az the nation expands and grows
They want better houses to live in;
they want a picture or so upon the
walls and a carpet upon the floor: they
want music, better things 10 eat and to
Wear. They want to advance with the
times.
Il firmly expect to see every strike of
settled before the first day
of July Arbitration is the foundation
upon which labor organization is built.
Strikes that are now in force in the
west could be settled in twenty-four
hours IL the element of arbitration We're
permitted to enter into them.