Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-05

seri-skilIed labor is unorganzed Only the highly
skilled trades have been thoroughly unionized They
are the ones chiefly affected by legislation
putting the control Of the government:
and few in proportion to the bulk
Of the nation they would able to exert little
influence the complexion of that government In
other words them the vote would be no weapon at
all compared the strike. In country like Aus
traa labor safeguarded under the existing arrange
ment by its strength at the polls
England has had full share Of labor disputes.
but all her steps towards settling them she has
stuck firmly English principle Of trespassing
ttIe as possible the fullest exercise of individual
rights There is an machinery
mediation cancellation and arbitration, but the
ment strictly voluntary, not coercive.
The Canadian disputes act seeks to take new mid
die ground and attack the problem from new angle.
passed in 1907. and attracted favorable attention
over world. II work well in practice.
provides that strike may be called without due
notice industries classed public utilities
mines raIlroads-snd aeso forbids the calling OF
looking out until official investigation Of the
dispute completed. Then strikes lockouts
are legally permissible This copied in
Australian states IN the Transvaal and very
GENTLY In Colorado Il seems one Of the most promising
OF the methods n uss but It obviously guarantees
against nothing but unexpected or oonsdered strikes
In the United States have great variety OF
schemes In In different states Thirty-two states
have LEGISLATION providing for the settlement Of indus
trial disputes. state board OF arbitration has
proved probably successful Of the state meth
DDS For settlement Of disputes involving interstate
matters the provision for board Of mediation
made in the Act This provides for voluntary
arbitration with compulsory awardhat the parties
they do accept they bound to stand for given
time by its is also clause IN the act
creating the office secretary of labor which gives
that secretary right to offer his services aroters
and to appoint commissioners of Cancellation.
The records that mediation has been the most
successful settling Industrial disputes In the
United States. The old Erdman Act carried minor
provision mediation proved unexpectedly useful
effective while that Of the bill which provided
for arbitration pretty much a dead letter.
The true solution of dn1icufees would to
The agreement Is a compact voluntarily entered
labor and its employing corporations
vdinE settling disputes before
particular dispute has arisen with its passions and
n-feelings on either side that to cloud the
issue trade agreement is treaty freely entered
into guaranteeing Industrial peace.
It Is probable that will compulsory gov
eminent arbitration become institution in this
country, even II we forced IT single emergen-
cies. We committed principle to the greatest
possible Of individual and class liberty. But
that liberty carries with It responsibility. Individual
and act voluntarily where the law does
compel them.
The trade agreement has yet to be tried q
nationwide scale If could a federal OF
created whose decisions unions and corpora
engaged IN Interstate traffic. would bind thern-
selves to abide by for of years from
given date such compacts to be renewed their
pration should have taken long step toward Indus
peace. The pressure Of public opinion would 90
long way toward preventing a union O corporation
from going on dissenting the abstract prin-
ciple of impartial arbitration.