The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-06
ARTICLE BY ID. NJ. PARRY.
Of National Manufacturers
on "The Real Conflict"

ID. NJ. Parry, president of the National
Association Of Manufacturers, in an article
entitled THE Real Conflict" in the Signs
of the Time for Dec. It, has expressed at
length his views on the great question Of
capital and labor, dealing with the relations
Of unionism to individual liberty wages and
the demands of labor and their effect on cap
ital The following excerpts are taken from
1.-THE Real Conflict"
1.-The question which has been asked as to
what are the fundamental differences be-
tween labor and capital appears to imply
that there is some great conflict on between
those who own capital and those who labor
for livelihood. But this Is not a correct
statement of the controversy. To my mind,
the labor issue is merely question whether
individual or property rights are to be OBJ
liberated at the behest of labor organiza-
tions.
Organized labor demands that funda-
mental laws be suspended in its behalf;
the employers demand that these laws be
respected and enforced. This is the one
great and irreconcilable difference between
the forces of so-called capital and labor.
IT do not want to contend that organized
labor believes exactly in the re-establish-
ment of the Garden of Eden, when labor
shall no longer be necessary. but l do con-
tend that it has some vague notions of the
kind. 1t places faith in the theory that
wages are not dependent so much upon
what labor produces as upon other consid-
erations, and one of these considerations is
it's ability by mere dictum to say what
wages shall be. 1t appears to have the idea
that, If the railroads and other industries
were only owned by the people mankind
would have to work only three or four hours
day, and every one would receive all that
elysium dream it weaves for the delusion of
honest labor!
BENEFITS FROM CAPITAL
Now, the question resolves itself down
as to who gets the benefits from capital.
Organized labor declares that capital does.
1t points to a Rockefeller. who owns mill
ions of dollars in bonds and stocks. as
proof of it's assertion. But it does not stop
TO analyze its assertion. The wealth of the
captain of industry consists of his title
of control to railroads and corporations.
Neither he nor anyone else can consume
these railroads or corpora tions. All that
a Rockefeller can do is to direct their man
agement so that they will serve the ends
for which they exist in the best possible
manner. By giving the highest intelli-
gence to the management of capital the
captains of industry are, In truth, perform
ing service for mankind, the value of
which Is incalculable. 1t is not the own
ership of the pieces OF paper called stocks
and bonds that is of the first Importance
to men in general, but rather the owner
ship of the products of industry which go
TO satisfy the necessities and comforts of
life. To whom do these products go? They
go to all, TO the rich and poor, TO the men
who toll and TO the men who hire 1t is
true that the rich get more than the poor,
but there is, after all, but little difference
between the amount of food and clothing
that different men consume, and a limit
is quickly reached to the amount of furni-
ture a man can place In his home The
amount of wealth actually consumed by
the rich is but little greater than that con-
sumed by the poor, and il is one of the wise
provisions of nature that this must neces-
| sarily be the case.
XXX
when a union succeeds in getting a spe-
cial wage scale, 1t is merely diverting TO its
own members share of the aggregate pro-
duction that rightfully belongs to other
classes OF labor. 1t Is not hurting capital.
except that 1t checks the use OF existing