The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-01-12
Government and Unions in Ami
cable Agreement Since Out
break of War.
LABOR RIGHTS GUARANTEED
Policy of "Gettins Together" Has
Worked So Well That 1t Seems Rea-
sonabIe 1t Will Be Continued After
the StruggIe-LittIe Industrial I'm
rest in the United States.
BY GEORGE soULE.

When the war broke out Great Brit
ain was on the verge Of labor con-
fiict. But on the day after the great
war was declared the heads of some
of the big unions went to London and
declared truce. They promised not
to strike until Germany made peace.
Later the understanding between capt.
tai and labor was embodied In the So
called treasury agreement, and, with
certain notifications, was.enacted into
law in the munitions act. 4
Law Founded on Bargain.
The munitions act Is founded on a
bargain. The first difficulty the Brit
ish government faced was a great
shortage of shells and other munitions.
There never has been time, Sir
Stephenson Kent said, when the re-
quirements Of the army have not risen
above the advance estimates. And the
shortage of material, combined with
raising an army, Immediately created
a shortage of labor.
Prewar union customs stood in the
way of remedying that shortage.
Skilled men, in order to protect them
selves, had refused to allow the intro
duction of machine processes which
would permit the use Of lower-paid
workers, who did not require so long
q training. And, in order to protect
the power of the unions, the labor
ho1 c,th 1tc,hn hn nIn oh
in many plants, so that women and
nonunion men could not be brought In.
Dangers Threatened Industries.
Prewar customs Of employers also
threatened disaster. The enormous In
crease of the demand over the supply
of their products enabled them to
charge higher prices and gather in big
profits, thus hampering the govern
ment, raising the cost of living and
causing labor trouble. And they also
began to entice men from each others
plants by offering higher wages, thus
interrLpting production, increasing
costs, and often leading to scanty sup
ply of skilled men where they were
most needed.
- -...u4s sps.t---z.s~ 10 Abuses.
The munitions act got the workers
and the employers together and elimin-
ated both abuses. 1t first insured fair
ness by placing all plants doing neces-
sary war work under the control Of the
minister Of munitions. He could do
anything he pleased in the manage
ment of these plants. The British flag
was raised over them, as symbol Of
their national character. The govern
ment said to the unions: "YOu, for
your part, agree not to strike. You
will let us change processes and bring
in all the women and unskilled nom
union laborers that are necessary. Ii
you want higher wages, you will talk
1t over with us, and accept whatever
decision is reached. AS a basis for
wages, let us begin with the scale now
In force in the various districts"
Unions Given Guarantees.
The government then went on to
say: 1--WE, for our part, guarantee
that all rights Of the unions will be
restored after the war. We will, fur
thermore, limit the employers profits.
He may have an average Of what he
made for the three years before the
war, but we will take 80 per cent Of
anything more than that. We will also
limit prices. And three times a year
we will look into the cost of living,
and grant bonuses to the employees
to meet any increases" OF course no
profit was guaranteed to the owner,
and In some cases no profit is being
made.
This bargain has worked excellently.
Five hundred disputes are settled to
every one that comes to a strike. And
strikes almost invariably collapse
quickly, not so much because the gov
eminent has drastic legal power
against those who foment them, as be-
cause public opinion, In the face OF
such fair arrangement, will not toll
crate them In the time of national