New-York tribune., 1910-09-20
INDUSTRIAL PEACE
/ ockouts and ConciilatIon-
Waking Delegates Peace
makers.
Lcndon. September ..


-,-.-,-.,,s,,,,- industry. and that has
&c evidence Of the ire
--.b,. conflict between cspitai ano
I,ho- n which srmistices are iio'o"
,-,ces In reality the lockout mas Oeh
.-ra5iert- not only for the p'otec1ion
:. -. -,,ssses of capital represented IN
= -,4,x,s-s. federation OF one Of the
.-.,z,,s,-ies Of the kingdom. but
eng the federated interests
= 80 ,,n,onis.n with authority and
.,- enforcing discipline in the
.u-s,ce Of peace. An agreement
made A year ago for preventing
..,,,are os work and the outbreak or
,+-5zes and for promoting settlement OF
s:sa7yres II various trades allied with
,bs shfpbuiIdinE industry It was vlo-
lated bv certain branches n the boiler
y-stsrs' union: and the federated au-
lhorities. who had arranged the terms
n nesce. were unable 20 enforce the VIII
Of the majority against a factious MI
no-it-. The lockout. instead Of being
fresh proof that capital and labor
must ever be in conflict. is 2 sign that
s-sfe regulation. with more power at the
ton. is required for holding employers
and employed 70 their engagements.
The lockout in the shipbuilding cen
tres IS an episode OF the Gay which is
wholly IL accord with the records Of the
Sue Books. For example, the Board OF
Trade has issued within a few days
detailed statement OF the settlements
Effected under the railway conciliation
scheme. This was voluntarily adopted
hv the railway corporations and the
Analgamated Society or Railway Ser
rsuts in November 1907. a disastrous
conflict Was averted through the good
nf5Oes OF Nr. Llovd-George, and an
agreement Tor 2 term Of years vas
reached for referring all disputes over
wages. working hours and other g-iev-
s1ces 10 boards Of conciliation and ar
hitration The Blue Book contains an
snzzing record OF the operation Of these
agencies Of peace and order Scores Of
disputes in railway management have
been referred 10 department officials;
rhsn settlements have not been effected
o. once the cases have been sent 10
sectional conciliatiou boards. If the dis
cutants remained al variance. there vas
a. appeal 70 a central Cancellation board
represeuJirg all grades within the gen
r-al scheme. and when these eXpedients
failed there was final recourse 10 arbi-
f-ation. All the railway corporations
r. hich entered into the general agree
r7ert With the federated trades unions
have compiled with the terms of peace. /
--6 four corporations which were not
concerned IN :; have adopted the
.rhe-7e
When this official digest 81 = hundred
- more cases is examined tie fact Is
ssoartsined that large ma iority Of the
decisions relate 20 claims respecting
wages OF hours and that the railway ser
tznts have ordinarily improved their 4
POSITION. although they may not have ,
-sr-ied every point other decisions .
relsta 20 -he grading Of v-ork1nen and /
Or the iureTprerstio 81 srbitrators' 4
yards Under rho regulation ri the /
Board oF Trade there have been svste- I
r1sft7ed arrangements for four distinct /
stages of oonriIistion srd arbitration, /
s0d spplica+ions for -l1e revision Of rates I
- wages Or ~ hours of labor have re- 4
-eived deliberate attention In Conse- 4
u1ence q these negotiations and settle /
merits. the conditions Of service are less .
s~duous than formerly and the railway 4
operatives have profted from the re /!
6reEs of many grievances. The opera /
ton % the conciIidtion scheme has been 4
sstlsfa ctorv % su concerned. The COM 4
Isuies have been relieved from appre- T,
henSion Of strikes and sudden disloca- /
tions II traffic: the servants have pre- 4
reHted yheir claims through trade union I
o1fcisls and obtained Substantial ad- 1
Vautages. and the public has benefited /
Or more harmonious management Of 4
Ihe lines
The same moral can be- drawn from 4
another Blue Book which recites the 4
proceedings of the Board Of Trade under /
The Cancellation act Of 1895. This re-
lates 10 trade disputes which are not
covered by special agreements for
limited terms Ike those negotiated for
INC railway service and the shipbuild- |
ing INDUSTRY. The act empowered the |
Board of Trade 10 inquire into the
causes Of differences. 10 facilitate ami /
cable settlements and 10 appoint con-
c.iators or arbitrators. The processes /
are not compulsory. since there can be
no decisive intervention without agree
nent between employers and employed:
bat q perma nent court Of arbitration has
been organized with a code OF regulations
and panels Of chairmen. employers and
reorkmen. and the negotiation Of special
agreements for the reference Of disputes
70 impartial tribunals has been encour-
aged. This report offers cumulative
proof of the utility Of these official
agencies for the maintenance OF indus
f-isi peace There is steady Increase
IN the number Of applications for con
CiIfstors or a-bitrators. As many as
- cases arc dealt with in this report I
and nearly aII-the Industries Of the king
CON are represented ir the negotiations
and settlements Prejudice against state
intervention has been overcome and
both employers and workmen have as
certsiued that they have every iaclIity
lUr arguing their cases and that the
tribunals are impartial
Tho blue books contain irrefuIaDle eNl-
Gence that there is a marked trend
tOEard industrial peace in the Kingdom
The present disturbance IN the SNIP
baIiGing trade is not an exception to the