Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-15
POSITION Of LABOR
Carroll D. Wright Tells of It
to Manufacturers
ANNUAL CONVENTION
DESCRIBES DEvELoPMENT OF
THE WoRKINGMAN.
Strike Will Soon Be an Institution Of
the Past, Labor Com
missioner Says.
ANNUAL CONVENTION

| NEW ORLEANS. April 15.-Interest IN
| today's session of the National Association
] of Manufacturers centered in the report
T, of the resolutions committee. which was ex-
| pected to result in a definite understanding
as to the attitude the association will take
toward organized labor The committee
held three short sessions last night and be-
gan its labors again early this morning,
| but the announcement was made that 1t
would be unable to complete its report at
| the agreed hour, II am. and the chair
! man expressed the belief that the report
could not be made until late in the after
| noon.
/ When the forenoon session was called to
| order by President Parry, Carroll D..
| Wright, United States commissioner OF
labor, introduced and was given a
hearty reception. President Roosevelt had
| been invited to attend the convention, and
| in declining named Mr.. Wright to represent
| him.
Carroll D. Wright's Address.
Mr.. Wright said in part:
'rhe combination has in it all the ele-
ments of the corporation, for it is simply
| an enlarged corporation embracing ele-
ments, and therefore it is more powerful
| for good or evil than the corporation of a
quarter of century ago. But 1t recog-
nizes in it's development an effort to de-
mocratize industry.
| Like a department store. it democra-
tizes the handling of goods and enables
that he may need in his shopping tour. The
| great combination enables society to Sc
cure its commodities ON a more stable
basis than under the previous methods. Its
| evils are those of management and not of
constitution. These evils may be handled
| by law and by society.
I'VE need not fear them, for when the
combination does not seek the common
good and does not accomplish by its meth
| DDS and it's machinery of production and
| distribution the welfare of society, So
| ciety itself will take care of the matter.
| 1t is the result of development of the idea
of associated force, and therefore under IL
| industry has secured greater power than
| 1t has ever reached.
Development of Working Man.
Conversely the sing.e workingman. Work
ing by the side of his employer, was his
employers personal associate, but as the
employer developed into the firm and the
firm into the corporation, and the corpora
ton into the combination, the single work.
ingman has developed along singular lines.
He became the employe of the firm with q
larger number of fellow wOrkmen.
Then he became the employe Of the cor.
pOration and the personal relation that
previously existed was weakened or sew
cred. He progressed as the fellow employe
of thousands on thousands, and the great
combination where he is still farther re-
moved in personal way from his en-
plOyer.
Does this mean harm or does 1t mean
good? The answer to this question de-
pendS entirely upon the attitude OF tho
two parties in the new relation.
Capital may receive now and then an ex-
orbitant increase in the way of profits or
of interest and wages may be raised or
depressed artifcially, but under all nor
NAL conditions the profits to capital and
the remuneration to labor will be regu-
lated by positive economic laws but thesa
laws are more elastic than natural laws.
and hence disturbances. misunderstanding
and bitterness arise.
About Remuneration.
"On the whole. however. the remunera-
ton to capital is constantly decreasing and
that to labor constantly increasing. This
is the result so far as capital is concerned.
of the accumulation of wealth which may
be turned into active and productive ca
pacity, and, so far as wages are concerned.
to the increased standard of living. result
ing from education and the culture which
follows 1t.
'"The growth Of the sentiment underlying
the principles of justice outlined belong
more thoroughly to the present than to any
preceding age and will overcome the labor
difficulties. which harass the public. injure
the workman and damage capital. With
the ethical spirit finding a lodgment tho
antagonisms and the animosities VIII be
softened, II not relieved.
1.-THE workingman has risen from ig.
norance to intelligence, and as he has
reached intelligence he has become moro
or less greater complication in indus
trial affairs. In his ignorance he did not
strike. In his intelligence he does strike.
Strikes Will Be Obsolete.
The next step in the development in his
v>o< <l,ok l,a nil v,nf ufv no..
that he will be able to accommodate him
self to conditions because he will continue
them and understand them better. He
will be able to recognize his rights In re-
lation to the rights of others and to know
fully what is necessary for successful pro-
duction. where now he understands only
a part
.rhis means, of course. the organization.
the continuance. the perfection OF labor
unions Some of the methods of the labor
union are to he commended. So are some
of the methods of the capitalistic organiza-
ton to be condemned, but because he can
not get on together does not mean that
either or both should be destroyed. Thoy
must get on together.
THAT is the necessity of time, and 1t Is to
the intelligence of the leaders of both inter-
ests that society at large looks for the de-
velopment of industry on u basis of social
.The great question for employers and en-
plOyeS Is: VIII they IN cOnduct OF tneir Inu-
tual affairs exceed the militant spirit or
invoke that peaceful consideration which
leads to the adoption of the highest ele-
ments of business interestsT'
Resolutions Adopted.
At noon the resolutions committee an
nounced its report ready. The labor qiies-
ton Immediately came to the front in the
shape of resolution embodying a dec3ara-
ton of principles, declaring against boy
colts and lockouts. recognizing the right
of labor to organize. but without fnterfer-
ence with the liberty of employers or en-
ploye." denying the right of unions to fix
wages, and pleading the associau uon to op-
pose all legfslati ton not In accord with the
foregoing principles.
A motion to adopt the resolutions brought
n protest from James r. Taler OF Cincin-
natl who demanded that the resolution be
printed and held over until tomorrow. Nh
Taller was supported by Mayor Jones OF