CHAPTER V.

THE COAL TRADE.

RBITRATION in the coal trade is an accomplished fact, as far as England and Wales are concerned. Everywhere

disputes are being settled by arbitration. As yet, however (with perhaps one exception), no permanent board, either for arbitration or conciliation, has been adopted. When a dispute arises, arbitrators are chosen on each side and an independent man is fixed upon as umpire. The investigation takes place in one form or another, and the masters and men abide by the result. In the Northumberland coal trade, although there is no permanent arbitration board, the masters and

men have for some years met together and discussed all large questions, affecting the whole district, in a friendly way. The masters had their association, the men belonged to two large trades unions. Since March, 1873, a joint committee, composed of six employers and six operatives, has met, and discussed and settled all questions "of mere local importance, affecting individual pits." But the committee has no authority to deal with the larger question of wages; nor is there any board which has such authority. The arbitrating tribunal is created for the occasion. For example, on March 1st, 1875, an arbitration took place between the employers and employed in the Northumberland coal trade, before four arbitratorstwo chosen by the employers and two by the men -presided over by the umpire, Mr. Rupert Kettle, who defines the constitution of the court very clearly:-"We are one body of five; and if, byand-by, it should be found that you are two and two, and, therefore, cannot arrive at a conclusion, the decision will be with me; but until that time. arrives you are the judges, and I am only assisting

you." The colliery owners begin the statement of their case with the following remarkable testimony as to the relations between employers and employed, and as to the condition of the colliers, which those would do well to attend to who are ready hastily and lightly to repeat the unjust exaggerations so current about the excesses of colliers. They say:

"It is satisfactory to us that gentlemen who have so intereşted themselves in the welfare of the working classes are to arbitrate upon this important subject, and it is with pleasure that we proceed to draw your attention to one of the most active mining districts in the kingdom, where for many years the masters and the men have been on the most friendly terms. You on your part, we feel sure, will gladly recognize that you are not called in to stand between an oppressed body of labourers and their employers, but that, on the contrary, you will find that the miners of this district form, both physically and morally, a most advanced type of mankind, from which some of our most talented and clever inventors and senators' have been drawn, and from which, with great skill and judgment, some of the ablest advocates have been selected that ever represented any body of men ;

' Mr. T. Burt, M.P., was the Secretary of the Northumberland Miners' Association, and has uniformly advocated the establishment of boards of arbitration and conciliation.

and the owners so far appreciate their intelligence that they meet their representatives at all times, and frankly and cordially discuss with them all matters in dispute.

"The result has been, that the pits have been kept continuously going, and both masters and men have severally reaped the greatest possible advantage that could be obtained from the exceptionally good state of the trade during the last few years. This intelligence on the side of the miners has shown itself often and again in the ready way all questions of percentage, and others requiring a high mental training, have been taken up by them in the various discussions that have taken place, and leads us to hope that they will follow and comprehend the very important statement that we shall have to lay before you—a statement full of instruction, which we trust will draw the attention of the miners to most important truths, and cause them to loyally accept the decision which we feel sure will be the result of this arbitration."

In the Durham coal trade we find a similar state of things prevailing. The district is described as one in which " reason and calm discussion have pre-eminently taken the place of force." I have already in the second chapter pointed out the danger of these arbitrations creating a system of refined advocacy, and this danger is greater in the coal trade than in any other industry. No doubt they have a most beneficial effect: but they are

very long investigations, most intricate and difficult to follow, and generally, they are by no means calculated to bring conviction to the minds of the operatives. This must be a danger to the system; unless the operatives can understand the grounds of the decisions they will sooner or later doubt their justice. Too great frequency is another evil. For example, in the Durham coal trade, an award was made in November, 1874, after prolonged investigations, by Mr. Russell Gurney, which seemed to give satisfaction to both sides. Yet we find another great arbitration beginning in April, 1875, and the men giving utterance to the following complaint: "We had certainly thought that an award based on such exhaustive evidence, and given by such an unquestionable authority, would have been allowed to settle the wages question in the county of Durham for a much longer period than the mine-owners. have allowed to elapse before requesting a further reduction in our wages." Of course the answer is, that the fault lies in the fluctuations, which are beyond the employers' control. But that only