New-York tribune., 1912-06-10
ENGLISH ISSUES
Profit Sharing - Compulsory
Observation-Disclosures
Sentences.
London, Nav o.

/
the English workman Is bent upon bay.
ing more amusement and a larger share
of the profits Of industry than he now
receives. The German workman 1nds
his recreation in the Deer garden during
! the evening and is not interested IN
sport. In England the vogue for amuse.
ment carries Industrious artisans into
cricket and football grounds and racing
courses. They are not satisfied with
half holidays, but want more time fov
enjoying themselves in the open air, even
il their earnings are cut down. It has
already come 10 pass that they do less
work a week and have more amusement
than their German competitors; ami
they are easily persuaded by their So
calist mentors that they have an in
alienable right to an easier and pleas
anter life and to an equitable share q
the national wealth. Lord Hugh Cecil
does not condemn them for wantin;
more fun and more money. lie perceiyeS
clearly that education and environment
have opened 10 them the prospect of 4
brighter and more interesting life. He
is not prepared to adopt the vagaries OF
state socialism or syndicalist control OF
industries, and consequently he falls
back upon profit sharing as the moss
practical relief measure
Tho late Sir George Livesey showed
what could be done with copartnership
tented and industrious body Of workers
in the kingdom than the gas workers IN
that quarter. There have been ~
strikes; tho relations Of wOrkmen ami
employers are entirely harmonious, aud
profit sharing has increa sed the habits
of thrift and raised the standards Of life.
| The extension Of this system seems to
/ be the settled policy Of the Unionsts
/ Nearly all their leading men advocate II
as the panacea for labor troubles. Yet
/ Il IS plain that copartnership cannot ba
flung upon employers and that It can
not be enforced by legislation. IL is
merely pleasant subjecs for discussion
when speeches are 10 be made or letters
written FOR the press. Moreover, tho
trade unions take little interest in J..
They made repeated efforts to break ~
the South London scheme Of profit shar-
ing and they succeeded recently in
smashing up a promising copartnership
in the North OF England. Profit shsr-
ing when il is accepted as a basis for
business relations between employers
and men involves Withdrawals from
trade unions. The men draw their d,vi-
dends. Set their faces against labor re.
volts and cease 10 contribute 70 the
unions. Organized labor from the IN
stinct Of self-preservatiou is opposed %
profit sharing.
Mr. Snowden has made the timely al
nouncement that strikes are useless as
a means Of permanently advancing tbs
interests of labor. The tidings ought 20
be proclaimed from the housetops when
one hundred thousand transport workers
are paralyzing the commerce Of London
and sending up the prices OF provisions
To famine rates nine months after Elm
liar attempt TO raise their wages ar tbs
expense OF the community. Mr.. Snow
den asserts that the railway men and
the miners in their recent revolts againsC
capitalism would have been abjectly
beaten II LETT 10 hght out their batti5
with their employers by themselves. !.
was the interference Of the state that
delivered each strike from disastrous
failure and crowned il with a fair meas
ure Of success. Mr.. SnCwden is pleading
for political action as the best resource
Of organized labor; but his argument
points 20 another conclusion, which tho
socialist strike leaders will be reluctant
TO accept II the interference OF tho
state alone makes a strike successful,
Will not compulsory arbitration dispense
with labor revolts altogether? The set
tlement OF strikes Uy state action IS
rapidly becoming essential TO public
safety Tile Liberal government, vita
its close affiliations with the Labor party,
cannot introduce compulsory srbitra-
ton bill. The Unionists can do Il, when
their great opportunity comes.
The Home Secretary is man Of pith.
who retreats from q strong position A.
soon as he occupies it. The prosecution
OF Tom Mann and an associate for ad-
viSing soldiers 10 disobey orders and to
refuse 10 fire upon mobs of strikers was
a wise and courageous measure. They
were justify!ng disloyalty and rebellion
and well deserved the severe sentence
passed upon them. The Home Secretary
having acted with dignity and discre-
tion in ordering these prosecutions, az
once shows how nabby and soft he can
be. lie releases the minor offender ana
reduces Tom Mann's sentence. That IS
a plain utimatlon that the criminal
courts were too arbitrary and strenuous
in Furnishing reckless agitators for incit-
ing soldiers TO rebellion against tho
crown. Keen Observers are now wonder
ing whether this boneess Home Secrc-
tary will make similar mistake IN miti-
eating the suifragist sentences. Mrs.
Pankhurst and Mr.. ana Mrs Pethick
Lawrence have each received nine
months in the second division for con-
spiracy in melting swarms of silly AMI
lawless women to smash windows few
weeks ago. This Is the first effective
measure adopted against the extreme
section OF the suffragists, whose street
raids and outrages upon public decency
have disgraced London. VIII its punt
tive force be taken away by premature,
mawkish concessions?
Already the Radical press is clamorins