776 THE URBAN COMMUNITY 



for Initiator stopped me a while and pointed in another direction. 

 " Your strictures, " said he, " about our modern cities are correct; still 

 allow me to observe that housing the body is not everything, housing 

 the soul requires consideration. 



" Not long ago cities in general were held in bad repute. They 

 were dreaded as hot-beds of agitation, for the citizens were constantly 

 clamoring to obtain broader liberties. This danger is now removed. 

 On the democratic basis they lead or follow, according to circum- 

 stances, and have no other will than that of the nation as a unit. 

 Still, if the political revolutionary era is closed, other terrible pertur- 

 bations have followed which, as a rule, take place again in crowded 

 cities. We allude to the economic conflict, to the labor wars which are 

 called strikes. These alarming feuds rapidly degenerate into everlast- 

 ing struggles between fratricidal factions. Such a state of affairs must 

 be remedied. And how can this be accomplished? To put it briefly, 

 by justice and liberty; but justice and liberty are handicapped both 

 when workmen are denied the right of joining trade-unions and of 

 giving voice to their political or religious opinions, and when em- 

 ployers are denied the right of taking non-union as well as union men. 



" Moreover, justice and liberty are imperiled when strikers interfere 

 with the work of non-strikers or maliciously invade the premises of 

 dissenting employers. Such trade-unions as exist in England will, 

 in the opinion of the best judges, become a social safeguard, and the 

 day is not far off when workmen will consider violence as hurtful to 

 their cause, for a lasting change can only be brought about when 

 public opinion backs it, since the laws take their stand on actual 

 conditions of life and not on artificial devices. 



" A committee of control and arbitration should be intrusted with 

 the duty of adjusting the difficulties that may arise between em- 

 ployers and employees, of warding off violations of contract, and 

 providing for full publicity to be given to the claims of both parties. 

 Let me repeat that public opinion must be considered as the supreme 

 tribunal. The New Zealand arbitration committee, whose decisions, 

 are compulsory, has a tinge of absolutism which may threaten both 

 justice and liberty. 



" Many people in comfortable circumstances are apt to be one- 

 sided. They believe that men on a strike must necessarily be agents 

 of disorder, to be brought to better feelings by the police and the 

 army - - a foolish view, for the way that leads to peace, in spite of 

 a dangerous old proverb, is not war, but peace. In times of peace, 

 let us then strive to reconcile economic antagonisms. 



" There are also methods of making money which are responsible 

 for much evil. I have not in view only mischievous trusts; cases 

 have occurred where labor organizations have joined hands with 

 employers and had work done at abnormal prices. The benefits 



