| Show I Almost Perfect Arbitration Laws of Illinois The present pr laws lawn of ot the tho o of at I s on tho the subject of or the tha Uon of ot industrial disputes tho appoint anent of the members of ot tho the state board of ot arbitration n and tho the operation of at tho thoI taw law I W have since Ince the amendment of ot 1901 otter litter careful examination and analysis by II students of ot social soola and labor moved move menis ments ben pronounced to be the near nearest est to the Ideal arbitration laws The particular r amendment referred to which the legislature passed Is la us UI follows v vu H u shall be bo the tha duty of at the mayor ot of every city and the president of ot every Incorporated town or village whenever a II strike or r lookout Involving more than employee shall t tt do threatened or has actually occurred I 1 within or near such fluch city Incorporated town or village to Immediately com oom communicate com communicate tho ho fact tact to the state tate board of at arbitration stating the name or names names of at the employer or employers employee anti and one or more with their post addresses the nature of ot the controversy Y or r difference existing the number of ot employee Involved and sue other Information Into as ae may be required requited by the saki Id board DUTY OF OP LABOR L DOn MEN l If shall be ba the duty of at tho president or officer of ot every labor ot o I In case of ot a 0 strike 01 or lockout factual or threatened Involving the members r of at the organization of ot which h ho he Is an officer to Immediately Immediate communicate tho the fact tact of ot such strike or lockout to said sold board hoard with such In Ip Information formation as he ha may possess touching the difference or controversy and the number r of ot employee Involved Whenever When er there thero shall exist a I strike or Dr U jc lockout kout wherein In the tM judgment ol ot ola ota ofa a majority of ot sold Id board bo r the tho general public shall l a l appear likely to suffer ins In or inconvenience with respect to food fuel or light or tho the means of at communication m Or transportation or In any other other respect and neither party to such strike or lockout lock out shall consent to submit the matter or matters In con controversy Y to the state board of ot In conformity with this act net then the sold said l i board after aCter first having made duo d effort to effect a settlement thereof by conciliatory means beans and such effort having tailed may lOa proceed of ot Its Ita own motion to make an nn Investigation of or nil all facts bearing upon such strIke or lock lockout out and make public Its findings with such nuch recommendations to tho parties hell as ns In Its Judgment will wll con contribute contribute tribute to t a n fair and equitable settles settle settlement ment of ot the differences which constitute tute tuto the tho cause e of ot the tho strike or lockout lo kout III i In the prosecution or of such Inquiry the tho board shall have power poor to Issue subpoenas and compel the attendance and testimony of at witnesses as all In other cases LAW IS EFFICACIOUS This Ill III amendment which originated the present board places the ar arbitration laws of ot Illinois In the position of t being as nil nearly n arly able to meet meat the re of ot uch a law as ns Is possible under the present conditions of ot the cm ems of laborers labor rs and the social and economic conditions of ot the tho United States Prior to this amendment when a n astrike astrike strike occurred even though the pub public lic was the tho greatest sufferer by reason of or the Inconvenience to It the he board of ot arbitration was wall powerless to act net and had to sit ail Idly by and take no part port In Inthe Inthe inthe the matter Now when such Inconvenience fence eneo to tho the public Is III shown the board can and does doell take the matter up and though hough Its Ita findings arc are not binding up upon upon upon on tho the contestants nevertheless the very wry fact tact that sn an opinion Is le given to the public by b the board after taking testimony and the press takes up and publishes that opinion has the effect ot of making the theono one to blame see the error of ct Its way The possibility pOI of making nn Investigation In and reporting an opinion ion ton has the effect of ot making ma the side at fault slow Mow III ow to precipitate trouble which is IR likely lr 16 to result In a strike or lockout lock lockout out cut a BENEFITS TIES THE PUBLIC During the few tew months In which the amendment has been In effect tho the views of ot the leading lending labor representatives re lives tives as well as of ot the heads heads ot of tho the more prominent corporations In Illinois hAve h e been sought by the members of or the board and the tho opinion seems leem to be b unanimous that an Incalculable benefit benent will accrue to tho the public through tho the enlarged power thus given to the tM theTo banal To adopt and maintain that middle policy POll In the tho matter of ot the arbitration ot of labor disputes disputeR which lies between compulsory arbitration on the one nM hand and Inane and listless 9 Inactivity through lack of or power caused by detec defective detective tive tle laws law on the tho other hand Is tho the great grent desideratum When a 1 long drawn out strike rn ens sues Rues which the tho papers are constantly referring to tho the cry Cr Is le often otten heard h ard by bynn byan byan an nn employer or employee They should be bo forced tOled to arbitrate or There should be bo compulsory ory arbitration Nd doubt there thero ore are occasionally ocen CORES rases where compulsory arbitration would be Justifiable but such cases are po so few te and far tar between that a II law could not bo be framed which would cover any such auch cases without Including everything In tho way of a strike and It It is so ent nt as nl to be bo axiomatic to every think thinking thinkIng ing tnt man that compulsory Iry arbitration ta fa not the desirable thing In the tho United States Stales BOARD GROWS GnOWS POPULAR The work ork of or tho the present pre ent board of ot ar has hili under the present law been of ot a 1 character to Indicate In that It I its popularity among both employee and employers It le constantly growing mat great mater greater er The adoption of ot the plan of ot hold Ing monthly meetings at central points when both and employ employer er ere are met and are given riven an opportune ity to become acquainted with the members of ot the board Is la doing much to popularize the board and facilitate Its Ife work At Al these meetings meeting the law U I explained and and the Im Rom sometimes met with that pro regional te lonal politiciAn compose the mem memo Is fe dispelled The extent to which an employer or orn orA ft n body bally of ot employed can Un by their own acts of ot violence or a so se II Incon Incan Inconvenience the us as to force the board to tn take tak up matter mAWr of at the he dIll dh dl pule puts make A KM hiss lill been seri lIerl seriously considered by It ItA members r sett At first blush It occurs cur that cne me r pica or the other might In such sueh u h a way to by b its ils own unlawful or overt set act but such nn an Idea MeR I is III 4 when one stops to consider that neither side AI c can n predict what the finding of ot the board Is a I to be and thus the offending natty narty mAY mar be the one who Is I found by b the board to be In error i CONCILIATION FAVORED The rn f conciliation Is II I coming into greater reater favor of ot late fate and In most mOlt of the states state Ita tel having board boards of et Arbitration where any active work Is done dOD by the t t bards tho the chief function r U Is the fett of or labor disputes deputes by b bya a J Intervention anti and conciliation before a n strike striker ar r lock lockout l out has actually oc A Avory very noticeable characteristic of ot all nl strikes Is 18 tho the idea Iden of ot each side aide that Us Its It I dignity Is I lowered and aM a IL weakness of Its Ita cause Is II evidenced It It approaches the tho other side Ide It Is III right here that the tho board ot of arbitration steps In and by using ft a little acy is I able to accomplish results Un der such circumstances it immediately I becomes the he policy of ot th board to impress Im Impress press upon both oth sides eldes to the disturb disturbance disturbance ance tho the facts that the board Is not to become be como a talebearer between Jet we on the par tics Ies ica that nothing will be laid sald to tho the representatives ot on the he press which may anny be construed con Into luto weakness w on Its It II part II art artand and that if It the parties are aro not brought together by board boa reI they mot moat cere certainly tat will Wt not no be bo mono widely q l separated t ed edFred Fred W Job State Hoard ard of t Ar In Chicago 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