New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-19
Defence Council
Plans Nationwide
Labor Mediation
Committees of Employers
and Workers To Be Formed
in Industrial Centres
Federal Agents to Aid
Britain's Labor System Out
lined to A. F. of L. by
Leaders Now Here
Federal Agents to Aid

Washington, May 1s.-Plans for ere
ating nationwide machinery to aid IN
mediating labor disputes during the
war were announced to-day by the Ma
ticnal Defence Councils subcommittee
on mediation and Cancellation.
Committees Of influential employers
and labor representatives will be
formed ir every industrial centre
starting with score OF large cities,
to cooperate with Federal or state
mediators, particularly by influencing
employers and union leaders TO submit
70 arbitration.
The cities in which these committees
probably will be formed hrst are New
York, Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh, Bal
timore, St Louis, New Haven or
Bridgeport, Cleveland, Indianapolis,
San Francisco, Philadelphia, Detroit
Portland or Seattle, Salt Lake CITY,
Kansas City, Louisville, Denver ST.
Paul, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Az
lanta and Birmingham.
Gompers TO Ratify Appointments
The committees will be named by the
subcommittee on mediation. of when
V. Everit Macy, Of New York, is chair
man. and ratified by Samuel Gompers,
chairman OF the Defence Counclls
labor committee. They will have no
government authority. but leaders OF
the Defence Councils movement feel
confident that the personal influence
of the local committees will guarantee
mediation in most cases. The sub-com-
mittee on mediation already has mem
hers in the twenty-five cities named,
and these probably will form the nu-
cleus for local committees IN each
place. -,
An committees will be responsible
through the Defence Councils organ
ization to Secretary of Labor wilson,
who will direct the work of Federal
mediators.
The American Federation of Labor's
official summarization of the lnforma-
tion obtained from the British labor
leaders now in Washington was given
out to-day as fellows:
"a BRITISH government act pro-
vides that there shall be no stoppage
of work upon war munitions and re
lated industries. All differences shall
he arbitrated. Where arbitration
fails. provision is made for settle
nent by government machinery IN
which the employees are represented
equally.
Regulations for Women
women are employed whore no
men are out Of work. Women must
receive equal pay. Government agrees
that the places Of the men Will be
returned to them after the war There
are 100000 women in industry who
heretofore were not engaged in man
ual labor. The women are joining the
trade union movement.
"Munition workers are enrolled as
munition volunteers and are assigned
by the government to various parts
of England. The highest wage OF the
district they left or in which they
are now employed is paid. Every
fortnight the government gives them
free passes on railroads to visit their
families, if away from home. The
fifty-one railroads in Great Britain
are under state control on the basis
Of guaranteed profits of 1914. Some
companies have turned back to the
government large sums Of money
which is in excess of their 1914
profits.
Dock workers are enrolled in the
army as civilians and wear the Brit
ish uniform. These workers must be-
long to the union and are modified
for the purpose of unloading cargoes
in any section the government elects.
"No move is made by the govern
ment without consulting trade union
officials, many of whom are exempted
from military service.
Landlords are prohibited from
raising rents and the government pro-
hibits employers from reducing wages
of pensioned soldiers who have re-
turned to their former employment.
"Wages have been increased in pro-
portion to the increased cost of living.
When workers demand higher rates the
first question asked is. what is the
increase in the cost of living?' That
being ascertained. it Is added.
Increase in Union Membership
"The English trade union movement
has a larger membership than before
the war, and it has surrendered no
standards definitely. although some are
suspended for the time being.
"The government has given a pledge
to reinstate every union practice now
suspended.
"The government joins with trade
unionists in their opposition TO child
labor on the ground that if the war
were won under those conditions il
would be lost, as future generations
would be destroyed"
Representative of Canadian trades
Unions also have been in conference
with officials of the American Fedora
tion of Labor. The Canadian contin-
gent was composed of J. c. Walters,
president Of the Trades and Labor Con-
gress Of Canada. and Gideon b. Robert
son, Senator and vice-president of the
Order Of Railroad Telegraphers.
They told the federation officials
that the Dominion government has
failed to take organized labor into its
council, and that the conditions the
government imposes in England in the
manufacture Of war munitions are not
insisted upon in Canada.