New-York tribune., 1910-11-28
STRIKE TALKS IN CHURCH
| abor Leaders Discuss Methods
of Preventing Labor Disputes.
APPROVE OF CANCELLATION
Woman Says Labor Unions Lead
in Great Religious Movement
and Preach Brotherhood.

Three persons well known in the world
of la Dor spoke last night from the pulpit OF
the Church Of the Divine Paternity, 18th
street and Central Park West. These
speakers were Marcus NJ Marks. a mem
Der of the Nobel Prize Commission on In
dustrial Peace and chairman of the con-
ciliation committee OF the Civic Federation
of New York; William H. Ashton. organ
izer OF the International Brotherhood OF
Teamsters and prominent in the recent ex-
press strike, and Miss Leonora O'Reilly,
an organizer Of working women.
Mr. Marks said that he looks more to the
prevention of strikes than a settlement of
them, believing in the old adage that a
stitch In time saves nine. He recommended
the establishment of an investigation board.
two members selected by the employers,
two by the employees and two selected by
the first four named This is plan SINH
lar to that operating in Canada as a result
OF the passage OF the Lemseux act, except
that there are only three members of the
board in the Dominion. Either side must
give thirty days notice Of a strike or lock-
out Mr. Marks warmly commended this
system.
He criticised the recent strikes by saying:
Unfortunately, in the last five Industrial
disputes In New York-namely the shirt
waist, cloak, custom tailors, express and
taxicab strikes-the employees left their
places without any attempt to remedy their
grievances by conference or arbitration
and in all Of them violence on the part Of
the strikers and their sympathizers was
resorted to as means of intimidation
"A strike. in fact, rarely settles dispute
on the basis of justice. The relative strength
Of the two parties is the measure of the
result. The strong usually wins. and the
end leaves one or the other side ranking
for retaliation"
He also said that while strikes for better
wages and shorter hours meet with public
sympathy-and he recommended that i'm
proved conditions should be arranged for
while work is going on-that the strike for
the closed shop on the part of the union
and the exclusion of union men by en-
ployers were both based on ignorant and
unwise ideas
Il heard one man say" said Mr. Ash
ton, that So per cent of Industrial troubles
were due to overzealousness on the part Of
officials. The Vice-president of one of the
express companies showed poor spirit and
a poor policy in refusing to give an audi
ence to the strikers. No man should be
greater than the government, and the gov
ernn1ent should not be greater than the
people I am in favor of arbitration when
ever practicable. The state boards of arbi-
tratton are wellnigh meaningless, for they
have no power. and l wish for laws that
will give us this solution as easily as pos
sible. Cancellation can solve As per cent Of
the labor troubles, arbitration another As
per cent. You must leave the remaining 10
per cent to the ignorance of those who re-
fuse these plans"
Miss O'Reilly confined herself to a defni-
ton of what the labor union means from
the workers standpoint.
ITO sum 1t all up" she said, ''the labor
movement is really the great religious
movement Of the day. 1t is the gospel Of
brotherhood. and its creed is that man must
labor and that he must receive for this la
Dor what he can subsist upon. and that he
must work no longer than physical endu--
ance will stand. The trade union is the
business side Of this, and by it is fixed the
line beyond which the worker cannot and
will not CO.