Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-10
The Vital Principle.

The prolonged strike and lockout of the
building trades Of New York will probably
end shortly, general arbitration scheme
having been adopted yesterday at a meet
ing of representatives of both the employ
ers' association and the unions. The agree
ment Is now to be submitted to the indi-
vidual unions for adoption and 1t appears
likely that another week at the outside will
see general return to work Of the scores
of thousands who have been thrown into
idleness by the deadlock. While the ces-
sation of labor has been extremely costly
to both the laboring classes and the en-
pioyers, and serious handicap to the
community at large, 1t has been almost
entirely peaceful and Of a sort possibly
to result eventually in benefits to the
trades. 1t Is a high price to pay for the
procurement Of an arbitration system but
such method of settling disputes had to
be secured by hook or by crook, and the
workingmen of New York took the most
expensive method.
Washington's employers and workers in
the building trades have just reached the
plane of mutually in this matter, and as
far as the agreement recently adopted ex-
tends, 1t serves to put an end, locally, to
strikes and lock-outS. It's value is accentu-
ated by the ordering Of two minor strikes
coincidental with the signing of the con-
tract between the representatives of the
two sides. 1t Is earnestly to be hoped
that this bargain, including the establish
ment of a general board of arbitration, will
be extended to cover every trade in the
District. The principle is essentially good
and its application should be universal
1t Is common sense that a dispute az to
wages and hours should be adjusted with
out cessation Of work. To permit a break
in the course OF business while arguing
such a point is to confess inability to man
age affairs. either personal or collective
Employers should not be expected to yield
to demands merely because they are made,
nor should they on their part reject all de-
mands merely because their men make
them. Human selfishness does not per-
NIT broad view of questions affecting
the individual and the judgment Of others
Is always surer of reaching the basis of
equity When there are reasons both for
and against the grant Of demands a dead
lock is not only unwise and unnecessary
but 1t Is unjust to those interests which
are dependent upon the maintenance of
friendliness between capital and labor. In
such cases compromise is essential and
it can best be reached by umpires.
The present trend of sentiment among
both workers and employers is that arbi
tration is inevitable on large scale for
great national troubles and on a smaller
scale for local affairs. The coal strike set
Element gave pointed Illustration of the
value of such a process of adjustment.
These local settlements of building trades
difficulties indicate that the spirit Of COM
promise and peace Is spreading. 1t is the
ideal solution Of the so-called labor prob
lem. When attained once the benefits
flowing from it to all sides should secure
for 1t a permanent place in the Industrial
world. Whether written into law in terms
of compulsion or adopted in the course of
the awakening of both parties to its abso-
lutte necessity. 1t must eventually replace
the useless strike and deadlock in all
parts of the country and in all trades.