The work cited sums up the result: "And from those industries at Nottingham and Wolverhamp ton since that time the organization of peace has •xended from industry to Industry and from city to city, until the system has been adopted in a greater or less degree in the moat important centres of British industry. But everywhere, where in an in duatry a court of arbitration according to one or the other of the two systems hae been established, there has been since that time neither a strike nor a lockout." In Great Britain the instrumentality which seems to be of most importance is found In voluntary boards, which are permanent joint boards representing employes and work people In partic ular trades. The organization of such bodies dates as far back as 1849; the first which attained suc cess was in 1860 ; since that time joint committees or boards have been formed in various trades and occupations until in 1890 the first general district 'board was formed in London through the chamber of commerce, being a result of a committee of. mediation in the great London dock strike in 1889. In 1907 the threat of a general railway strike caus ed the formation of boards of conciliation for rail way companies and their employes. These joint boards usually consist of equal numbers represent ing employers and employed with either an inde pendent person as chairman, or, as is more fre quent, the chairman being an employer and the vice-chairman a workman or their representatives respectively. If the chairman is independent be may cast a vote, otherwise there is apt to be an umpire provided for ; and if one cannot be agreed upon, he is selected under the regulations by some named neutral body or individual. A common pro is that there shall be equality of voting be tween the two bodies represented without respect to the actual number of either present.
Prior to 1896, whatever was done in this direction was voluntary, although various attempts had been made to promote arbitration and conciliation by legislation. The conciliation act of 1896 empower ed the board of trade, in case of differences, to take steps to promote a settlement. Their powers are defined with much detail, and the proceedings, de signed to lead up to a binding agreement, are vol untary and have in the main been reasonably suc cessful. During eleven years the number of cases in which action was taken by the board of trade were a yearly average of 21, out of which the set tlements average 16, and of these three-quarters were effected by arbitration and one quarter by During the ten years commencing with 1897 the number of cases considered by the standing boards of arbitration and concilia tion averaged annually about 1,500, of which one half were settled and the remainder withdrawn or -otherwise settled. Of the cases settled, about three -quarters were by the boards and one-quarter by umpires. The whole subject in England is still in a formative state and has not reached the stage of compulsory arbitration. The Trades Disputes Act, 1906, as to granting civil actions, appears to be the latest act.
In the British colonies, however, the subject ie further advanced and in some of them very much so. In Canada a conciliation act was passed in 1900, and in 1903 another act had special reference to the settlement of railway disputes. These two acts having been consolidated in 1907, there was legislation providing for a board to .deal with in duatrial disputes on the application of either side whenever a strike involving more than ten em ployes is threatened. The provisions of the act
may be availed of in other Industries, the original act having applied to mines and public utilities. Lockouts are made unlawful as are also strikes on account of a dispute prior to or during a ref erence of the dispute to the board, but there is no provision as to subsequent strikes or lockouts. In New Zealand compulsory arbitration is in force and effect under the industrial, conciliation and arbitration act of 1894. Provision is made for the Incorporation of associations of employers or work man, termed industrial unions, and for the crea tion of joint district conciliation boards with an impartial chairman, elected by the board, to which disputes may be referred to by either party. If ei ther party refusea to accept the decision, it is pasted on to a court of arbitration consisting of two representatives of each side and a judge of the supreme court, whose award is enforcible by legal process with financial penalties for default. Strikes and lockouts are equally illegal. It is said that thus far the success of the system has been only partial.
In Australia there bad been previous acts In 1901, In New South Wales and in Western Australia in 1901 and 1902, which were somewhat like the New Zealand system with modifications as to details ; but in 1904 the commonwealth of Australia passed a compulsory arbitration law based mainly on the previous ones of New Zealand and New South Wales, and it may safely be said that the laws of this island continent on the subject are more atringent than any others in force throughout the world.
In France a law of conciliation and arbitration was passed in 1892 under which either party to a labor dispute may apply to the jugs de pair, who notifies the other party, and, if they concur, a joint committee of conciliation is formed of not more than five on each aide who meet in the pres ence of the jugs, who has no vote. In default of agreement the parties are asked to appoint arbitra tors and they agree on an umpire if possible, oth erwise the president of the civil tribunal appoints one. In case of a strike and no application, the jugs as pair may invite the parties to act. The results of the action of these authorities are plac arded by the mayors of the communes affected and the parties are free to accept or reject the action indicated by the law. In ten years beginning with 1897, there were 1809 cases, of which 916 were on application of workmen, 49 of employers, 40 of both, and 804 of neither ; and of these 616 were settled, 649 by conciliation and 67 by arbitration. In Germany they have industrial courts termed gewertegerichten, which may under certain condi tions offer their services as mediators in ordinary labor disputes. The principal law was passed in 1890 and amended in 1901. The court intervenes on the application of both parties or may do so on the invitation of one side or its own initiative in case of strike or lockout. The conciliation board con sists, under the amended law, of the president of the court and representatives of equal numbers named by the parties respectively, but not con cerned in the dispute, or, in default of such ap pointment by the president. A certain time is al lowed for the acceptance of the decision, but there is no power to compel its observance. In five years, commencng with 1902, there were 1139 applications for intervention and 492 agreements, with 107 deci sions of the courts, of which 64 were accepted by both aides.