The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-24
ELIOT ON LABOR UNIONS
COMPREHENSIVE STATEMENT BY
THE PRESIDENT OF HARVARD.
Benefits and Evils OF Organization
Pointed Out-Boycott Denounced
as Cruel and COwardly.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass, Nov. 23.-In an ad-
dress at a private meeting Of the Colonial
Club. of this city, President Eliot, of Har-
ward, made a comprehensive statement OF
his views on labor unions. He said the
work of the labor unions must be counted
among the efforts to make the lot of man.
kind more satisfying and happier, and that
their strength lay in their belief in this
work as their mission. he then enumerated
the conditions which he designated as HUI
name conditions OF employment-those to
which laboring men may rightly aspire.
First was a rising wage based on increased
experience. attachments and age; second.
steady employment after adequate proba-
ton: third, the opportunity for the work.
iagman to establish a permanent home;
fourth. conditions which enable him to give
his employer generous service and to take
pride in it. fifth, the right to a pension on
disability. which gives throughout life relief
from one great anxiety, and that public
consideration which goes with steady job
and self-respecting. though humble or
unobserved career. These five conditions
of humane employment, President Eliot
said. were realized to-day in Harvard Uni
versity. Plainly they were not realized in
unskilled labor, where the terms of service
were often those OF instant dismissal" An
other serious difficulty with American en-
ployment was that it was spasmodic Com
plants from employees were often made the
ground for dismissal.
The present antagonism of employers and
the unions was the fault of both parties,
but on the whole the former were more
to blame because their situation was more
comfortable and their education superior.
The industrial community was under many
obligations to unions for the evils they
have mitigated, such as poor sanitary con-
ditions In factories, an unreasonable num-
Der OF hours of work, child labor and the
company store
The oligarchy of capital had combined
effectively and the corresponding combina-
ton OF laboring men was a wholesome
check upon that oligarchy. There was no
question that the labor union had come
to stay. on the other hand. its cause was
injured by certain evils which were sub
versive OF fundamental American doctrines
OF liberty. One of these evils was the limit
placed on the number OF apprentices,
whereas in the learned professions every
announcement was given To the training
OF novices.
Other evils were the limitation of output,
which destroys the self-respect OF the eff
Gent workmen, and uniform wage, which
has q cruel reaction on the less capable
workmen because with n uniform wage he
loses his job at every slack In business,
whereas ii he was paid according to his
earning capacity his employer could afford
10 keep him the year round y fourth evil
WAS the violence which was an inevitable
feature OF every strike In industries en-
pioyfnG unskilled labor. The unskilled la
borer on strike had no other weapon UNI
less II were the boycott, which was cruei,
cowardly interference with the rights of all
the people. President Eliot declared that
lie saw grounds for hoping that the rela-
lions az capital and labor would be I'M
proved. in spite OF their present unin-
teIigent aEtagon!snl. partly by frank pub
lie discussion OF abuses, partly by prear-
ranged agreements for Cancellation or ar
bitration. ard partly by the service which
labor unions would render TO capital
through their constant command of the la
Dor resources OF which capital comes In
need.