The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-25
ENGLAND Re AIRS
GREAT LABOR WAR
Wave Of Unrest Passes Over In
dustry OF Great
Britain.
.MUTINous SPIRIT PREVAILS
Trade Union Leaders Alive to
Seriousness Of Situa-
ton.
.MUTlNous SPIRIT PREVAILS
ny WILLIAM II. STEAD.

Especial Cable TO The Times Dispatch.l
London, September 24.--All over tho
North of England. Scotland and in
Wales there are menacing reports con-
corning the great labor war A wave
OF unrest seems to have passed over
the industry OF Great Britain. No ono
precisely knows why in go many sep
arate centres the same spirit OF dis-
content should find such angry cx-
preston The fact U.s. however. unA
mstakable and very dis1uieting, and
the pessimists are lugubriously pre-
dieting that this fall Will see ces-
sation of Industry that will paralyze
the industrial activity OF Lancashire.
Wales. the North and the whole OF
the shipbullding indue:ty nthc Clyde,
Tyne and Weir.
Men Disloynl to Leaders.
The most serious features OF tho
threatening disputeA is the evidence.
which seems to be accNmulating, of the
growth OF an characterization on the
part of members OF trades unions. Tha
real struggle Is not, so much between
employers and employed as between
the responsible executives of trades
unions and groups of woTkmen who
have refused to abide by the bargain
collectively entered into on their bes
half by those whom they have elected
to represent them in an arrangement
with the employers.
1t has been n very extraordinary
revolution OF public opinion that has
been wrought IN the last thirty years
In England. I can well remember the
time when to be trades unionist was
to be regarded as next door to being
an anarchist and reyolutionist. To-
day trades unions are recognized uni-
versally as being one OF the most cons
servatiye elements In the body politlc.
Mutinous Spirit Prevails.
Trades union leaders in this country
are men. whether in Parliament or o'lb
of IT. who have won universal respect.
Instead OF being anarchists or revolu-
tionists they have disciplined and or
ganized the laboring masses and have
produced a type OF what may be
called industrial statesmen, who htre
character. intellect clearness OF iudg
ment and good feeling, and who will
compare favorably with any class In
the community.
Hence 1t Is with profound alarm
that the public has heard of the grow
ing tendency OF disloyalty to the
union. The Federation OF Employers
meets the executive of rle tradeg
union. and In friendly converse arrives
at an agreement which is entered into
by both sides by mutual consent, with
the express assurance on the part of
the un!onist executives that the COL
lective bargain thus arrived at VIII
be Loyalty carried out by all the mem
bers of their union. :
But again and again In the last few
months groups OF trades unionists
have mutinied and dropped work. This
has been done SO frequently that tho
Federated Employers have been COM
PEELED to issue notice that unless the
collective bargain is carried out they
would be compelled to meet partial
strike with a general lockout
Outlook Very Serious.
1t seems to be admitted that tho
trade union leaders are fully alive
to the gravity of the situation Un-
less the spirit of sectional revolt can
be checked and guarantees provided
for the carving out Of the collective
bargain trades. unionism win be dis
solved. and one of the great forces
%hich the good sense and the organiz-
ing capacity of our Industrial classes
have created VIII disappear The pros-
pect before us In that case is SO se-
rious that there is a universal desire
on the part of all classes that the au-
thOrity of the unionist executive may
be re- established and that we may be
spared long, harassing. costly in
dustrial war. which can only have one
result.