The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-01-17
MAKES FOR LABOR
PEACE IN CANADA
Dominion Minister Explains At City
Club Working Of the Industrial
Disputes Investigation Act
Since March, 1907.

Since March, 1907.
The amicable settlement Of Industrial
disputes in Canada under a law which
has met with the approval Of capital
land labor alike was the subject d
lecture Friday night, before the City
lclnb OF Boston BY W. !. Mackenzie
King, minister Of labor in the Canadian
cabinet. MI. King. who has hade close
official connection with the working Of
the Industrial disputes investigation act
during rs three years Of life, extolled
Its efficiency III preventing strikes and
lockouts Edward A. Fileue presided.
A committee Of the Boston chamber
Of commerce Is now trying to work out
method % apply the main features
( 81 tile act b labor conditions in the
/ United States and d bin along similar
Lines Is to he introduced al the current
session Of the Massachusetts, legisla
ltufe
Mr king. II explaining the working 81
the industrial disputes investigation act,
said that where difference existed bef
tween an employer and his employees,
and ID appeared that this difference
could not be amicablv adjusted By the
parties themseles. the minister Of ia
bor established q board Of Cancellation
land investigation which board was pre-
sided over ~ 4 chairman agreed upon
4 IS tbe parties and failing their agree
lment 81 The minister. and WIS com
posed Of three members. the chairman
lappointed IS Indicated and two other
members named by Gle parties affected
4 by the dispute
Not Compulsory.
Mr.. King emphasized the fact that
the outstanding and essential feature
+ of the Canadian legislation was tho
absence Of compulsory obligation on
either side % accept the findings Of the
hoard The only element Of eompul
sion was that which required the parties
Is have their differences fully investi
gated II unable to settle them them
selves. and Ia refrain from locking out
81 striking until after the investigation
had taken place
It was tie voluntary nature Of the
ultimate settlements which rendered the
compulsory submission Of q case to
board workable I'd refuse 10 submit
i difference e. investigation where the
award was not binding was an obrious
confession that the case would not bear
and was likely to affect
public opinion
I'll speaking n more detail Of the
Tact Mr. King pointed out the sources
which had been dmwn upon in the
draft measure, and drew attention To
recommendation of important commits
sions and bodies in the United States,
which were ia accord with the general
principle Of the Canadian law.
NO Longer Opposed
II was pointed out that whereas some
Of the railway hrotherhoods and one
or two local organizations had opposed
the measure at the time Of its enact
meat. The railway bratherhnods he'd
practically without exception. after
having had experience with the meas
ure and It's workings come to view i
with favor, aud were to-day no longer
working for lis repeal, but at most were
working for one or two amendments
which IA no way affected its essential fea
lures.
The Dominion Trades and Labor Con
press. which two bodies represented the
international aud nationsl labor organ
izations of the Dominion, had strongly
endorsed the measure.
Since the act was passed IN March,
1907 two wears and nine months ago.
there had been 50 applicants for the es
tahlishment of bonds In "a cases out
Of the So direct agreements had been
effected 81 strikes averted through the
actual or projected establishment Of
boards
IN other words, the country had been
saved through the industrial disputes
investigation act IA out Of total Of
so serious strikes ia connection with
It's coal mines and Industries in the ma
ture Of public utilities.
During the years 1901 TO 1906 there
were II Canada IN connection with the
industries IN the nature of public utili-
ties altogether 100 strikes During half
this period under the industrial disputes
Investigation act, the total number of
strikes IN industries III the nature Of
public utilities amounted to six.
As an instance of the value Of the
measure as a factor for preserving in
dustnal peace. Mr. King made a com
parison Of the way 4 threatened strike
Of street railway employees In the city
q Winnipeg had been av8rted at the
time 3 serious strike Of street railway
employees was tn progress 70 Philadel-
phia
He concluded BY a reference to the
importaut bearing Of legislation Of This
kind for promoting industrial peace ON
The wider subject Of international peaoe
claiming that once communities became