The Connecticut labor press., 1918-02-16
Government and Unions in Ami- cable Agreement Since Out
 break of War.
LABOR RIGHTS GUARANTEED
Policy Of Getting Together" Has Worked So Well That 1t Seems Rea- sonabEe It VIII Be Continued After the StruggIe-Little Industrial Un- rest In the United States.
By GEORGE soULE.

When the war broke out Great Brit ain was on the verge of labor con- f1ct. But on the day after the great war was declared the heads of some of the big unions went to London and declared a truce. They promised not to strike until Germany made peace. Later the understanding between capi- tai and labor was embodied in the so- called treasury agreement, and, with certain notifications, was enacted into law in the munitions act.
 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 a 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 shortage of labor.
 Prewar union customs stood in the way of remedying that shortage. Skilled men, in order to protect them
 
 duct1on of machine processes which would permit the use of lower-paid workers, who did not require so long training. And, in order to protect the power of the unions, the labor leaders had established the closed shop 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 tL~ supply of their products enabled lhem 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 interrupting production, increasing costs, and often leading to scanty SUD- ply of skMed men where they were most needed.
 Put End to Abuses.
 The munitions act got the workers and the employers together and elimin- ated both abuses. It 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 non- union laborers that are necessary. If. 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 vent on to say: 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 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. II
 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- ernment has drastic legal power! against those who foment them. as be- cause public opinion, in the face of such fair arrangement, will not tos-