"STRIFE."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 709, 7 January 1910, Page 9

"STRIFE."

A GREAT LABOUR PLAY. ILLUSTRATING THE FUTILITY OF. STRIKES. Ono of tho most rernarKifblo plays produced during tho past year wns "Strife," from tho pen of Mr. John Galsworthy. It deals with tho relations'between master and man, employer and employee, at the time of a great industrial disruption, and should have ruoro than a passing interest. Tho play, has recently been produced at the New Theatre, New York, for tho purposes of which tho locale of the play has been altered. Describing the play, the New York "Post" says:—

"As must be pretty generally, known by this time, the original' location of Mr. Galsworthy'si-.playhvas-.in England,/and it is doubtful whether much has been gained .—if something has ; not been -lost—by .the transference of. the sceuo to. south-eastern Ohio. ; The original personalities do. : not always harmonise''with tho how environment .'to 1 which they have planted.'. This possibly .is ...a , somewhat ■ianciful objection. At all. events it' as not. a; matter of grave moment. .The ac-, tiori is supposed to be'confined to a period of six hours; When-the' curtain rises a. strike of the hands ~'of the Ohio; River Tin Plato Mills has-'be'en going:.on /for weeks and months, until the workers and their families have .been reduced: almost to the last extremity. When the; curtain rises 'tho president and directors "of the cdmpany are holding 'a:meeting in the manager's house to discuss the crisis; In .the progress .of-a'singularly life-like.iand veraciously.' written" scene, • the,exact situ- "| ation is unfolded.' ,Tt is evident-.that-the., whole energy of the/strike, is centred iii old John' Anthony,•■the;.founder and president of the'company,: oh the one Jiand,:: and ', David Roberts,, the. socialistic-: and fanatical leader: of the nien,, oh the other:. The'former offers adamantine resistance to the,. feeble protests' /.of I his/: Weaker-kneed . assbciatesi-He has had'four labour'battles i on'his hands, he says./and has won them | all. The only true:-policy, he .argues, is j to settle, your terms. and.stick to; them.. Every concession will,: bo: but. the to.', more / extravagant ', demands.... '.If ; dividends be "growing .less now,' they will-vail-, altogether: when/expenses'; are greater , than, receipts.- ■; To the .remonstrances of, his 6oh-r-who sympathises ;with the riien— : the timid expostulations .of Ihisco-direo-'. tdrs,"." the . prayers'■; df his daughter, I tho'; .warnings of his Secretary,'"tlie, representations; of-the 'uhion .delegates,'he; turns a :When* a ';committee; .bt} 1 he' : workiiig. men is'.ihtroduc'ed, '.'with the; 1 .fiery.'Roberts. at. their . : t6 7 demands'.and threats;/the. same rigid; ,-froutVdf I warned of the'impending desertion 'bf'ihim. :by..:his board,:, he !maihtaih's' < an v nhmoyed attitude' df solitary .defiance.. 1 ■:'.' /, " .'■ ":Then the. : .scene'-BBifts 4o..';Roberts's: i.cottSge, .wherein, are assembled;a. number : !'of starving w6meh, ! who 'lament,the', ObI stihacy. .of ..Roberts,'in.^iightihg;,aVlosing' battle, .in. which''.the;, worden'.'and "the' ehildren-aroithe kreatest,sufferers.;:',lt'is ■ intimated that the nien- themselves would 'yield; if'. it .'..'we're'; "riot'for'.the 'inspiring; zeal '.6i: Roberts,:whb pledges : them cer'taiil victory •in return.'; for .endurance'..', 'Mrs.' •Roberts, herself/is 1 , plainly,; dyih'g. of';'want. and heart disease.'.but'she isloyal.to her; hnsband andrefuses absolutely, to'profit; by the aid whicTi Enid; tho .compassionate: daughter • bf' John 'Aii thbuy; .would be '■ only; too'glad to \ supply.'. The ; , charitable instincts.of Enid;'indeed; only expose her to the savage: scorn of':Eobe'rts',''. who tells'her-that, he [.would, not., a finger .to save.. her. father, from> lingering 7 : death, .and 'the denunciation :>f ' Madgo .Thomas,,a fierce, daughter,'of the.pe.oplb,'.' iwho, in the ' depths; of her'despair; de-, clares. : to' her, lover that she iwill'sell, her r j self ,'ratlier than .see/her .old. rtibther/waht: food longer. ;Mt.. Galsworthy'paints'' the; squalid hblTbrs'. of .strike::famines/with an iinhesitatinj[^brußh.,.:K•'';;:'/;;'-•";' '•"•Ahothe'r.'./change .of j'/scene';shows. i a' meeting :of ..the 'mill; hands; outside'; the ■■'mills! .where, [ various;, speakers .'•harahgue: tho ■'strikers.';. It : I pr6ve'tt. lMtreVening,'to. be ; a triumph: of mbdern. stSgOi,manage.ment.-. The .union delegatef-with/visions .bf,:'defeat'and ; the.'chga'gemeht of ./'scab: ■labdur'.'' before . his , eyet—does"/bin; best,': in theVface of growingjhostilitv, to: induce;/the;'men' to yiejd,; and'. an: old Welsh . workman /and ekhorter,' ; Hehry./ThomaS,''' implores them;for the sake/of their..Wive3 and .ibabiea■■■ to' return-• to:'work,;. arguirie' ; that; this is v.the 'plain Vcourse'./presbribed: by duty and nature. 1 , The .conflicting ele-'. uiehts in the orbwd, are the cause of conJstantly/,increasing .turbulencw,/;but.'/:the majority, .are ; . plainly.: waveringj:: /When; but daiintlesß,..takes, the' platformi: and, in ;a paiisionate ■ address', '-.thrilling with scorn .'and invective, .kindles i them to, yet stronger rebellion.';- 'At ..the moment 'of- his ■:triumph I ,' : :just; after 'he - has asserted.: that : :life'": itself/-wbuld"-be' a; j small',.'price'::.t6^'"pay for.-i'viotory,' 'Madge/I /Thomas' comes to him, with/ the'news/that; l his wife is''. dead/.-ari'/epiifode/,th'at,-brings the scene to a powerful olimax.', Stunnedj '| >but .''still'.'' unsubdued,, /Roberts, staggers, ' ; frbm/:the .platform/.to .f#ih ' the/yhome/ .that'.is n'6w,:more desolatovthari; eyer,/arip.'| .the meeting : ,fesolves'itself_into.' a/'semi-// riot upon .'which' the' cur.tain. : falls;' ;<.-/ :'/' :• ■;•'■'.'ln/ the cdnclnding. scefl'e. the, direotbrs. are again:assembled- in; the', house.: All except old/.-John Anthony are .wavering; '■ / He-is ■: stauneh'a's /ever;; 'hough he is-'ebnscious of impending defeat,' /The hews of .the, death/of. Roberts's .wife is the -chief'cause'of his overthxpw. ; .■.;The" "taore":' susceptible.', directors; :drerid, the, effect of it on public ouinion, and .shudder, at.,the -thought of/'po'ssible -action dri,the '.part'/bf-a coroner's: jury,or the :press/-'! .They'.propose l 'a, resolution' that; the. union'; delegates', be'.:empowered' to : make a 'settlement with the me'hi but;before it can'be,' put- to; the-vote/.old An-.-■thoriy.'in a speech-of fine.drhmatlo force,''once,more defines his.-positipn;-declaring that'tllb .whole: future ;of-.'the .company is at stake,: that peace obtained nbw by concession must:lead?ineyitably to, future, 'ruini^whereas': filinness/-■iVpuld--- ensure. • speedv victory hhd permanent-prosperity,: .and.that'..'the'qu'estioh : inr,olved,is bhe_iiot: of sympathy,:but vital'business principle,- ,' :"Whan , tlie' vote- 'is recorded; againsti himlie■ resigns'his position.'oh the,board, and then-sinks into;pathetic:relapse' Pre-/ gently the mien's onmmittee are admitted, to' deliver their.final decision. what: has .happened," Roberts—whir has ontei-ed late; having been detained by his/ wife's death—is at first' disposed- to.;exult. over his'fallen foe,', but is quieted by. the union' delegates.'.': By'degrees the' stage .is cleared;Hhe. haggard- Roberts,/ and ■• the stricken ■ Anthony 1 ; retiring /by/.opposite doors. 'Finally only..the secretary,of the board and. .tho union / delicate remain, Slowly tho former realises/ that : the 'coinpromise reached: id: : th.e, one\>vKioh-.b6th^ ■ sides had rejected: before '.the,: fight,; and'that all the.-loss and suffering'has- been, in vain. '"That-is where:;the-.-furi-qoiries '.in/ : says the delegate;; and; the;./curtain• falls."/./.; ■'■'::?<■: /'//il'^/v;;::::'/; 1