The Cairo bulletin., 1912-04-16
ARBITRATION NOT
DOING ALL THAT
IS EXPECTED
Massachusetts Committee, One Of
Oldest, Failed in Recent Tex
tile Trouble
By Shelby M. Harrison.

country. The recurrent labor trou-
bles in both the anthracite and BIZ
luminous coal fields and the wave of
industrial unrest which has spread
over New England and New Jersey
since the Lawrence strike, make Mr..
Harrison analysis of haphazard
methods for settling industrial CON
flicts most pertinent. In the preserv-
alton of industrial peace, if any
whore, the principles Of scientific
management should be applied. Ex~
perlence shows at least that it is
high time to broaden our current
peace movement to include the bit
ter industrial strike which is un-
mistakabIy growing)
Public peace is getting a new
meaning. The old definition of
y ace, although widely accepted, Is
| an anachronism. 1t dates to the
time when the chief disturbances
were caused by governmental poll
eies. But a growth Of commercial
power until it at least rivals gov
bringing with it potent influences
for political peace. This very de-
velopment, however, has brought
new conditions that disrupt peace.
When TO settle Industrial disagree
ments property is destroyed and peo-
| pie killed, war exists
Maybe half Of the states, by pro-
Yiding some kind of arbitration or
concliiation boards, recognize that
The public has some interest and re-
sponsibility in industrial disturb
ances, From time to time congress
sional committees have made pre-
liminarv Investigations Of Industrial
controversy These, however,
seem to be Of more value as precedent
than as a system for permanently
solving difficulties. Labor troubles
continue TO arise They show no
signs Of growing less acute, and en-
phasi2e the inadeQuacy of our
present methods for quick and just
settlement.
TO SEQ absolute lack of uniformity
In public machinery for investigat-
ing controversies and for setting the
issues clearly before contending
parties in order to arbitrate diff
cuIties and lead to cancellation, it is
only necessary to review briefly the
incidents Of a number Of recent
strikes.
Early in 1910 between 1900 and
10000 coal miners in Westmoreland
county, Pa, quit work. No clear
statement of issue was made public
and no mediating agency was on
hand to act at the beginning of the
strike. Two communication from
the strikers were ignored by the
operators. Six months after the
strike began a committee of the
Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce
asked both sides to place before AN
impartial, unprecedented committee
the differences which are yours"
The large operators refused At the
end of twelve months the rules com
mittee of the House of Representa-
tives, after a hearing decided not to
make federal investigation of tho
strike. After the strike had con-
tinued fifteen months the companies
finally ven by bringing strike
breakers into the district, aud By
prolon&lng the fight until tho fuan.
cial drain upon the United Miro
Workers treasury became too great
Millions Of dollars were lost va the
oniy way in which the state rec3g.
ni2od the strike vas by detailing
coLstab 'ary to service in the strite
zone.
Not quite three years ago LOO
textile workers in Ludlow. Mass.
struck because of a wage disagree
ment Three days after the whole
body of workers went out the secre-
tary of the Massachusetts State
Board of Cancellation and Arbitra-
ton offered the services Of the state
to help bring about peace. Both the
and the workers declined
the offer, Two months after the
Board first offered its services. it
again made advances which were ac-
c9ptcd. A satisfactory settlement
was arranged and the strikers went
back to their old places. In this
case and also the Westmoreland
strike, the workers were unorganiz-
ed before the first trouble began.
Two years ago a strike began In |
The mills Of the International Paper
company, The employees were or
sanized and the employers refused |
% meet them except as individuals. |
At the request of citizens of Corinth |