Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1916-09-08
LABOR TROUBLES AND LAW.

/,
As to whether or not laws may be
enacted that will serve as panacea
for labor troubles, there is diversity
Of opinion. The Independent, a jour-
nal of advanced thought and clear
reasoning. discusses the subject en-
tertainingly and quotes the three ex-
isting precedents that may serve as a
guide In the formation Of such q law,
- follows:
"The threatened tie-up Of the en-.
dire transportation system Of the
United States because the representa-
tives Of 100000 workers and the rep
resentatives Of $4,000 stockholders
could not agree upon the principle Of
IN eight hour day. raises the ques.
tion whether the 100000 people Of
the United States have any rights
which capital and labor are bound to
respect.
Apparently, they have not. for the
Newlands act Of 1914. our most ad.
vanced law in dealing with Industrial
disputes, is severely limited in scope,
b permissive rather than compulsory.
and cannot go beyond efforts at con-
Citation.
1T Is no wonder. then. that the
United States Board Of Mediation
created under the act has completely
failed In the present crisis: and even
the President OF the United States,
with all the weight OF his authority,
has been able to do no more than in.
vite the disputants to the White
House and give them his best advice.
"A" Cancellation and voluntary ar.
bitration can be summed up as a uni.
versal failure. Is II not time for the
country to assume a heroic mood and
compel capital and labor TO settle
their differences by law rather than
by war? Fortunately, In attempting
to frame legislation to meet this end.
we have three great presidents from
which to choose We refer to the so.
called Peace Protocol adopted in the
garment industry OF New York City.
the Canadian Industrial Disputes In.
vestigation act. and the New Zealand
Industrial Cancellation and Arbit-a.
tlon act.
The Peace Protocol In the garment
trades OF New York. frs, established
In 1910. provides for the judicial set.
Element OF all disputes that mey arise
between the parties. each side relin.
gushing the right to strike or lock.
out. While there Is no force to com.
pei either side TO abide by the de.
cisions OF the board OF arbitration.
there has been no instance where the
decision has not been carried out In
good faith while the protocol was In
force. Moreover. there Is law OF
the state OF New York. by which. u
any two parties 10 n dispute agree 10
arbitrate their differences. either can
file the award with the proper au.
thoritics and then Il will be enforced
by the courts. While this privilege
has never yet been resorted TO. It's cx.
istence makes compulsory arbitration
possible under the protocol.
The Canadian Industrial Disputes
act OF 1907 Is applicable TO any indus.
try having more than ten employees.
II provides that whenever either side
makes application for the establish.
ment OF n board OF Cancellation and
investigation consisting Of three mem.
bers. II Ia unlawful for any employer
to cause a lockout or any empioyc 10
strike. pending the Investigation and
report OF the board. There ls moth.
ing. however, In the act TO prevent a
strike or lockout from taking place
after the dispute has been invcstira,.
ed and the report published. SO far
there have been III applications for
the establishment Of the board, Of
which iss were granted by the GOV.
eminent In all Of these ibs cases.
except nineteen. the findings Of the
Investigation board were carried out
n though they were arbitrai decis
ons. In other words. since 1907.
shen the act went into effect. there
ave been only nineteen strikes or
ockouts IN all Canada In the indus.
ries affected by the act.
The New Zealand Industrial Con.
iliation and Arbitration act OF 1894
rcvides for the incorporation Of as.