New-York tribune., 1910-09-04
FEARS OF A LABOR WAR
lockout of English Boilermak.
ersMay Cause Many Strikes.
A LACK OF ARBITRATION
MorePower Needed for Board of
Hade-Workmen Barred
from Political Field.
IBy Cablc 20 The Tribune. !

London. Sept. :i.-The conciliation act
has operated so well in bringing en-
ployers and trade unions together and
preventing strikes that the general lock-
out IN the shipbuilding industry to-day
is q startling surprise. II has been or
dered by the Employers Federation
after secret conference at Carlisle. a1o
while the boilermakers alone are smut
out. IL affects directly thirty thousand
men at Newcastle, Barrow, Glasgow and
all other shipbuiIding centres except Bel
fast. While the lockout was threatened
q month ago and a settlement was Ell
fected at the last moment, the trace
unions have been taken unaWares ana
are still unprepared for a strike OF serl-
Gus ma gnitUde
An agreement was made a year ago
.hrol1gll the good Offices Of the Board Of
Trade By which peace was apparently
secured between the powerful Employ
ers' Federation and twenty-siX trade
unions engaged in the shipbuilding in
dustrv. Negotiation was substituted
for warfare, and an engagement was
made for the peaceable discussion Of
differences without the stoppage Of work
or strikes. The leaders OF the Employ
ers. Federation complain that disputes
have arisen at the Tyne and Clyde ship
xards and that the workmen nave
stopped work repeatedly without refer
erce TO the treaty Of peace Certain pro-
visions Of the agreement have been dis
liked by the members Of the powerful
Poilermakers' Union. and the officials
have been unable to maintain discipline
There have been sectional strikes IN
which the majority Of the unions nave
NOT been implicated. and the employers
after being harassed for many months,
have taken peremptory action against
breaches Of the treaty. A large body ot
expert v-orkmen is suddenly deprived OF
employment, and unless peace can be re
stored one Of the greatest industries IN
The kingdom viii speedily be paralyzed
by counter strikes and the extension OF
the lockout TO other classes Of work
men.
The superficial judgment Of leader
writers runs heavily against the trade
t1rfon for its lack OF discipline ana
.norsle in the enforcement of its treaty
nh1ieations. but a sounder conclusion is
that the employers have a marked ad-
vantage over the workmen in resources
and collective action. The employers
can act together without risk OF
trea ches Of discipline and can promptly
lock out the workmen after q secret con-
ference The trade unions, having an
immense membership and conflicting in
terests. find it difficult TO enforce respect
for agreements which have been nego-
tiated by their own representatives.
Their federations are less manageable
than the compact organizations of the
employers.
!. The labor leaders. since the great lock-
bout Of engineers thirteen years ago,
Hhave been convinced that they cannot
stand I'D against the collective resources
Of the employers. This is their main
ground for the contention that the work
ingnans battle must be fought in the
political field. and there they are met
by the decision Of the court Of last re-
sort. which prevents the financing Of
campaigns with trade union funds
The conciliation act, while most judi
ciouslv administered by the officials Of
fFe Board of Trade, does not provide for
compulsory arbitration Compacts be-
tween federauons Of employers and
w-orzmen are voluntary, and official re
sources are exhausted when the repre-
sentatives II both sides are Put in the
way OF making mutual concessions.
More power is needed II the Board of
Trade for enforcing treaties made for
the maintenance Of industrial peace.
The pressure must come from the top
when the results Of collective bargain
ing are impaired by insubordination and
disafection.