The Connecticut labor press., 1919-10-18
HOW SWEDEN
 FINDS WAY TO
 PREVENT STRIKES
Employers Association and Gen. tra1ized Union of Workers
 in Control.
LABOR PROBLEMS SOLVED
Manager of Association and Lead CT of Swedish Trades
 Union in America.

New York, Oct 17.-They do it better in Sweden, according to Hja1mar vor
 Sydow general manager of the Elm ployers' Association of Sweden, and Herman Lindqvist leader of the Swed- lsh Trade Union party and speaker o1 the lower house of parliament, both of whom are here to attend the Interna- tional Labor Conference which will meet October 29 in Washington. Ac- cording to these chiefs of the capital and labor interests on the Scandinavian peninsula, both the necessary parties to organized industry have achieved in Sweden a degree of cooperation which might be followed to advantage in the United States.
 In discussing labor conditions in his native country MT. von Sydow said:
 The Swedish Employers Association includes about two-thirds of the whole Swedish trade and thus as a matter of course takes the initiative in the rela- tions of all business to labor. In each branch of industry, for instance, mining, the employers are associated to union and all these unions together form the Swedish Employers Association.
 No employer, no employers union, can make an agreement with the work CTS without the consent of the Swedish Employers Association, and so this as sOCiatiOn Is able to control working con- ditions of every industry.
 The situation has a parallel on the labor side where there is a mighty prin- cipal organization, the chief of which is Herman Lindqvlst, for whom the en- ployers have great respect.
 The fact that working conditions are settled not after temporary display of power by one side or the other, but after certain general principles have been car ried out to decisive action, involves many advantages.
 The employers and workers organi- cations, represent contending interests, certainly with different points of view but they have one thing in common they must work for the development of industrial life, because if economical conditions become disturbed the work CTS condition will become worse
 The great organizations on both sides have learned to respect one anoth- CT and cooperation between them is growing better and better So the pos abilities of preserving peace have in- creased Especially after the outbreak of the war both employers and workers to maintain order in indus try and upon the whole they succeeded"
 Speaking from the standpoint of la bor, MT. Lindqvist said:
 The Swedish trade union movement is centralized in the National Trade Union Association. This large organiza- ton. which in 1909 participated in a gigantic struggle, 3O0,0O0 workers taking part, has had an imposing development and numbered on July this year more than 236OOO members, 25,OOO being women. The whole trade union move ment in Sweden counts about 3OO,000 members.
 The Swedish trade unions have al ways worked on constitutional ground and in intimate cooperation with the Swedish Socia1-Democratic party, and SO the Swedish working class has been able to unite its powers at the various elections. As consequence of that they now have maj ajOrities in many municipal representative assemblies.
 The advance of the working class has hastened social legislation. Thus we have solved the question of old age and disability pensions and we have also secured modern law concerning accident insurance A bill about illness insurance is prepared and will be passed at the next parliamentary session, and a committee has been charged with the of preparing a proposal about unemployment measures.
 Last, but not least, 1 must mention that the question of most vital i'm portance for the working class, the regulation of working hours, has been solved. Last month parliament passed an act legalizing the eight hour day.