The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-02-14

The trend Of modern progress is OBJ
viously towards more perfect indus
trial organization The day of sail
doing is past. The existence Of indi-
vid,,al hand labor and small, capitalists
meaning using ol'u ;e tools and waste
full methods, which always require
much labor for little result and high
prizes with low wages. The highest
application of sciento to production
means large corporations. On the la
Dor side. Of the problem, the trade UNI
ion has shown itself to be the nat
ural economic type of organization.
1t is to distribution what the corpor-
alton is to production. Whether these
two types of organization will fill their
natural function in the industrial pro-
gress Of the future will depend very
largely on the wisdom with which they
are led. If their respective activities
are directed along the lines Of econo-
mic production, rendering superior SER
vice to the public while yielding pro-
fits to the investors, they will earn and
receive the support of the public and
soon become accepted and established
institutions. But if they abuse the
power Of organization and use it for
mere personal ACKNOWLEDGMENT, to the
injury of the public, they may create
storm that will be as disasterous
both to them and to society and make
their, coming mi sfort .:=;.
real
|Edep ding sanit
I management a DO II eS cond ition Sof labor
i've Improvement are largely in the
keeping Of the trade unions. The re-
sponsibility for labor's share in the
industrial progress of the future is
/ largely with the, trade unions: If they
are to exercise the influence they
ought to and can, they must rise to
the plane of full economic equality
with organized capital. This depends
largely upon the. character of union
leadership and the sound economic ed
ucatioa of workingm2sen through union
sources.
Much of the unfortunate experience
of trade unions has been due to- poor
leadership, and this is not surprising
! in view of the narrow conception
among laborers and the intellectual
and moral equipment necessary for
trade union leadership. It has always
! been an unfortunate characteristic of
| workingmen that, while they ask for
high wages they are unwilling to pay
high wages to their own representa-
! tives. Some improvement in this re-
! spect has taken place during the last
ten or fifteen years, but it is still the
| prevalent notion that those who work
| IT. s.oA
scantily worthy of their hire.
In order to get frst-class leaders
| the unions must pay first-class salar-
les. This is the only way the eorpor-
ations can: enlist capable men in their
service, and trade unions can accom-
plish- the same result only by doing
likewise. 1t is ncl essential that the
| president Of the national labor organ
ization should be taken from the bench
he should not be elected because he
is the best shoemaker or the finest car
penter, but because of his knowledge
of and the ability to understand and
present the principles and interests
/ involved in trade union purposes and
Another step, and d very necessary
one, in the greater perfection Of labor
1 organization, is to make economic ed
ucation a definite feature of the trade
unions. This does! not mean that a
i schoolmaster shall be. called in, but il
means that the study, Of; economic prin-
ciples as applied to wages; capital and
K the community shall be a constant fea-
i tire of trade { union work. In any
other department Of life, systematic
study and instruction are regarded as
necessary to sound information and
trustworthy thinking. II this method
l.were systena tically applied. it would
!. be only q few years before trade unions
; would furnish a body of men who
Il could present the interests:of labor AND
i the economic justificat ions Of its de.
mands with an ability equal to that 81
1.-the representatives. of cal ital AND
4 whose influence would command The
Il confidence and the respect 81 the com
Immunity. These men would soon be:
leone uthoritie on matters affecting
q labor, not 5only = IA borers, but FOL
1 IEpubli cists and: states1ne 55 They Wollli
thus exercise All indire ct, as well az
3 direct, influence upon the. public poll:
2Ictesz of |=thena ton g
q US This would .necessarily tend elm.
H1'Iiinat rac hness lniatas's pro,
...NIcedur,e, and would zInak them. ton:
n. force. Ind world
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