Science And Strikes

The valué of soiontific discussion was finely illustrated by the recent meeting of the British Association at Belfast. There had been a strike in the city for seven weeks. Before the meeting of the Economie section invitations were sent to representativos of the employers and employees to attend the session. Papers were read on the politico economie laws affecting the prices of labor and other couimodities, on the scientiflo view of strikes and lock-outs, and on the economie law of strikes. Then the workingmen present were invited to speak. Two of them did so. One eruployer replied. The speeches showed that each side thoroughly misuuderstood the other. The workingmen claimed that the wages were to De cut aown nueen per cent., that the trouble was a lock-out rather than a strike, and that thoir efforts to have the question arbitrated had been in vain. The masters, through their spokesnian, answered that the proposed reduction in wages was only six per cent., that the quarrel was a strike, and that they would be only too glad to have it settled by arbitration. This last statement must be put to the credit of the association, for the raen's assertion that tho employors had refused to arbítrate was perfectly true. When matters had gone thus far, settlement was easy. The workingmen's roquest, that Prof. Huxley, or Prof. Tyndal, or some other eminent man of science should act as arbitrator, was negatived on the ground that it was better that masters and men should come to an agreement, if possible, without the intervention of third parties. ün Wednosday, a oommittee of workingmen met the couucil of the flax-spinners' association. The men accepted half of of the proposed reduction for themselves and their boys, and ungallantly sacrificed the women oporatives by letting the mastors cut down their wages as muoh as they wished. On Thursday morning, thirty six hours aftor the association began the discussion of the question, the soven weeks' strike, which had cost the operativos a milliou dollars, was at an end, and tho linen-inills of Belfast were at work again. This shows what might be done were science brought to bear for the solution of tho real difficulties and evila of the world.