Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-05-23
COMMISSIONER lyons
DOES GREAT WORK.
Proves Chief Factor in Settlement 0
International Paper Strike Brings
About Conference That Re-
suits in an Agreement.

trouble and condition will exist that
I will neither be profitable nor desira BILE.
What your industry wants is peace. Not
peace at any price, but peace based upon
terms that will guarantee to your indus
try an efficient and contented body of en-
ployes, and this in my opinion can never
be brought about or maintained by i'm
posing conditions that restrict men in
their choice of social, religious, political
or other utilization.
| You understand that | am not CRITICS.
ing your method of dealing with your
| help. neither am l debating to YOU how
! you shall run your business / am sim
| ply expressing myself as | feel after in
vestigatinS the cause of the trouble. My
earnest desire is to have the strike set
| tied and conditions established that will
| bring peace and prosperity to the indus
| try. To attain this desirable end is it
not possible for you to propose some
! terms of settlement other than a COM
plete surrender on the part of your en-
| ployeS. which would leave matters in a
worse condition. if possible, than they
| We're before the strike?
l understand that you have. objections
to treating with, or recognizing in any
| way the officers of the papermakers'
union, but it seems too bad if this alone
stands in the way of an adjustment of
| the difficulty. The coal operators had the
same objection to treating with the coal
miners organization, but through media
ton and arbitration that difficulty was
settled and the terms OF the settlement
| miners or any other union or union Off
Gals. Upon this same principle I believe
| that an adjustment can be effected at
| I.ivermore Falls and Il settlement made
there would no doubt apply to other
places where similar trouble exists.
| My proposition is this Throw aside
| the condition of employment proposition,
because there is no board of Cancellation,
mediation or arbitration that would con-
slider that for minute. then leave to
| the Maine State Board of Arbitration and
| Cancellation. or to some local board to
| be chosen by both parties, the matter of
the 10 per cent. raise and any other little
differences that may exist. settlement
made under these conditions for a definite
period would ensure YOU peace for that
time and no doubt for years after IT
| seems to me that by this plan yoI would
| have everything to gain and nothing to
| lose. The State Board of Maine con-
stituted includes Mr.. Robert I. Dunton,
| a lawyer of Belfast. Maine. Mr. Samuel
Wooden Mill. Pittsfield Maine, and Mr..
Alden M. FlagS. carpenter of Auburn,
Maine. Certainly no manufacturer can
object to the composition of this board,
and there would be no question about
| your receiving a square deal from them.
L trust that you will accept my .sugges-
tions in the spirit in which they are Of
! fered, and that YOU will give them what
ever consideration they deserve. My sim
cere desire is to have peace, contentment
and prosperity in an industry that means
50 nuch to TINS ana other states, and If
| in my official capacity l can do anything
| to bring this about, my services are at
your command.
Very respectfully yours.
THOS J. LYONS.
Commissioner
I'm answer to this letter | received
| an Invitation to meet a. III. Burbank,
| president of the International Paper
| Co., at Boston May 9. | went from that
conference to Livermore Falls and
| from that point arranged conference
with the national officers of the Pa
permakers Union. which was held at
Boston May s. Those present includ
| ed President Carey, Vice President
George J. Schneider and delegates
| from local unions of the papermak-
ers, Hon. Charles O. Beals of Auburn,
president of the Maine state Branch
! OF the American Federation of Labor,
and myself. The following day Mr..
| Burbank came to Boston again and
| after conference with me. consent
ed to meet Mr.. Schneider. When this
| much was accomplished | felt that ali
| adjustment was assured
| "Other conferences followed in New
| York, with the result that a settlement
| has been reached, winch includes not
| only the mills at Livermore Falls, but
| also those in New York and New
| Hampshire as Well 1t applies not on
| " to the papermakers, but to all the
| other branches of labor that go 20
| make up a crew of pulp and paper
! mill In the negotiations for an ad-
| iustment | had the assistance of Mr..
| Beals and the hearty cooperation OF
| Governor Fernald. The full terms of
settlement have not been made pub
| lie but they are known to be mutu-
| ally satisfactory"