The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-11-24
HIS VIEWS
ON LABOR
UNIONS
President Elliot Tells Of the
Good Qualities Of Working
mems Organizations.

Cambridge. Nov 24-In an address SAT-
urday evening at private meeting OF
the Colonial club OF this city. report
OF which was given out last night, Presi-
dent Eliot made a comprehensive state
ment OF his Views on labor unions
He said that the work OF the labor
unions must be counted among the efforts
70 make the lot OF mankind more salts
flying and happier, and that their strength
lay In their belief in this work as their
mission. lie then enumerated the condi-
tions which he designated as humane con-
ditions OF employment. those TO whlcn
laboring men may rightly aspire
First. was rising wage based on In
creased experience. attainments and age;
second steady employment after aff-
auate probation; third, the opportuni
for the workingman to establish a per-
panent home fourth. conditions ~hlch
ena bic him to give his employer generous
service and TO take pride I'm It, ffth, the
right TO pension on disability
These FIVE conditions Of humane employ
ment. President Eliot said. plainly are
not realized In the great American indus
tries employing unskilled labor, where
the terms of service were often those
OF instant dismissal"
The present antagonism OF the en-
ployers and the unions was the fault "I
10th parties. but. on the whole, the Tor
mer were more 10 blame because their
situation was more comfortable ana theli
education superior.
The Industrial community was undci
many obligations 10 unions for the evils
they have imtigated, such as poor sanitary
conditions I'm factories, an unreasonable
number of hours OF work. child labor and
the company store.
The oligarchy OF capital had combined
effectively. and the corresponding COM
blnation OF labofIng men was = whole
some check upon that oligarchy There
was no question but that the labor union
had come TO stay on the other hand It's
cause was injured by certain evils which
was subversiye OF fundamental American
doctrines OF liberty.
One of these evils was the limit placed
on the number OF apprentices Other
evils were the limitation of output. which
destroys the self respect OF the efficient
workmer, and the uniform wags which
has a cruel reaction on the less capable
workman because with a uniform wage
n loses his job at every slack In business.
whereas, II ne were paid according TO
mis- earning capacity his employer could
afford to keep him the year round.
A fourth evil was the violence which
was an inevitable feature OF every strike
s. industries employing unskiilec labor.
Tie unskilled laborer on strike had no
other weapon. unless II were the boycott,
which was a cruel, cowardly interference
with the rights OF all the people
President Eliot declared that he saw
grounds for hoping that the relations OF
capital and labor would be Improved, iu
spite OF their present unintclligent an
tagonism. partly by frank public discds-
sion OF abuses partly by prcarrangei
agreements for concliation or arbitra~
ton, and partly by the ser Ice which
labor unions would render 10 capital
through their constant command OF labor
resources, of which capital comes In need