The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-19

VIM Take Fsfty-nine Years 10 Complete Il
- ths pveseat Rate 81 Pregress-
Hew They Werk-An American Chosen
- Arbitrator by Csnaicting unssns-
sysaa, Cable Dspafcs TO THE SUN.
LONDON, April is-The slow progress
being made BY the workmen employed BY
the London County Council on Kings Way.
the new thoroushfare from the Strand TO
Hoiborn and Adwych. has been the subject
Of considerable comment.
A correspondent Of a morning paper
yesterday declared that an investigation
showed that the work will take forty-nine
years to finish at the present rate Of prog
res. Another writer to-day takes up
the subject, and by means Of humorous
exaSeerat n shows how the general con-
ditiou Of the various trades-unions in Eng
land u greatly responsible for this slow
ness. The writer declares that the work
will eventually 20 concluded. He describes
how he watched q gang Of dozen men
who. with the assistance OF q travelling
orane. succeeded In . little more than q
quarter Of an hour In depositing a large
buoketful Of mixed ballast In huge trench.
the specialization Of this function Is
the basis Of modern Industrial organiza-
tion.' says the writer, and he proceeds TO
show with truth-oonveying exaggeration
tho minute diferentations OF duties made
by the various labor-unions. One reads
how "a member Of the Bubble Wheelers'
Union" wheeled up barrel Of rubble and
then retired to rest. A member Of the
Sand Shovellers' Union sprinkled sand, and
a cement fletcher. who was q unionist,
added cement. Then a me mber Of the
Amalgamated Water SpriLklers' Society
added water, after which members OF the
Mixers Union turned the mixture over
with their shovels. BY thin time the rub
BILE had become ballast and therefore
could not be handled by any but the Bal
last Heavens. who placed II In a bucket.
when q member Of another union hoe ked
the lifting chains. Then when the engi-
neers manipulated the crane. q member CT
the League Of Meditative Bucket Tippers
released the catch. and the ballast was
deposited In ths trench.
This parody Il not such great exa ggera-
ton Of the actual conditions Of trsGts-
unions In England as might be ina gined.
The differentiation Of duties that may be
performed BY the members OF various
unions is quite as sharp IS described
above. as many employers have learned
TO their cost end sorrow when the unions
have had q squabble In regard 10 where
their respective fields be gin end end, ard
the work has been stopped until the matter
was adjusted.
On this account an American. j. c. Stew
art. whose methocs Of mana cement re-
Gently electrified the building trades OF
England. notably in the erection Of the huge
Westinghouse establishment near Man
chester, has been chosen arbitrator by the
English Amalgamated Federation Of
Labor. His mission 10 not only to arbi-
trate the seversI sputes between the en-
ployers and employees. but principally
to define the limitation Of esch trade, such
az the exact oemarcation bet ween stone
masons and stonecuiters. iron erecters
and riveterp, and also the lstter's use &c OF
hand OF pneumatic tools; whether brick
laying includes the setting Of terra Gotta;
the right Of wrought.iron handlers TO place
cast iron and &C st-iron handlers to place
steel. 30. Mr.. Stewart hes also been sp-
preached from America 90 TO whether
he b willing to act % arbitrator In the stee
workers. dispute. He has already sue
cessfully aIbitrated several long-sts nding
disputes between kindred unions In England