Arizona republican., 1902-10-31
Current Comment
A Good Example

The agreement just made between 1 the American Tin Plate company and
 the Amalgamated Association of Tin Workers offers an example of sweet
 reasonableness worthy of emulation. The company has been desirous to furnish the tin plate for the large num-
 Der of oil cans used by the Standard Oil company in it's export business. This tin has hitherto come from Wales,
 as the law allows a rebate of the du- ties on the tin when it is exported in manufactured form. Thus the Welsh
 tin could be obtained for export cans
 at a lower price than the American manufacturers were willing to sell
 their product. They felt, however, that they could meet the Welsh price if they could cut down the cost of man. ufacturing somewhat, and took their employees into conference. They con vinced the workers that this new busi- ness, was enough worth having to do for slightly lower wage. According
 ly the tin workers have agreed to a three per cent reduction in wages, which saving is to be set aside by the company and placed in the hands Of the Amalgamated Association. From that fund the company is to receive back 25 per cent of the cost of manu- facture of plates sold to take the place ot the Welsh product in cans for eX- pert. Thus the American manufactur- CTS and workmen will obtain the trade and share between them the cut in profits necessary to secure it.
 The significant point in this transac- tion is the coming together of employ CT and employed to consider their com mon interest in their industry. Too commonly both forget the solidarity of a business. Too often labor unions make demands or resist changes to meet new trade conditions on the the ory that the employer is an enemy whose prosperity is nothing to them, when in fact their true interest is to work with him, help to develop his business and share his prosperity. Ii is not altogether to be wondered at that they often took the narrow. antagoE- istic view and were ready to see him lose business rather than share with him the concessions necessary to gain it. They in turn found too many em- plOyers unready to share with them any of the increased profits of larger business. The tin workers agreement is in pleasing contrast with such short sighted and selfish attitude on both sides.
 It presuDpOses a responsibility on the part of the Amalgamated association which has not generally characterized labor unions. When these unions are incorporated so that they can be held to the performance of contracts. em- ployers will more generally enter into conference on conditions and make agreements with them, even to the point O; profit sharing on business which may be gained by extraordinary mutual endeavor. Then unions will more generally see their true interest to be not following adventurers and justing business relations just as two corporations engaged in different stages of some manufacture adjust their prices and methods with d view to the successful prosecution of the whole branch of trade. Then there will be no disposition to soldier and make business unnecessarily expensive. q ny more than there is disposition on the part of the iron manufacturer to make the business of the tin manu- facturer, whose raw material is his finished product, difficult and expensive. It is trite saying that the interests of labor and of capital are one, but it is not often that it is So practically realized by both parties as it has been by the tinplate company and it's employes-l New York Tribune