The St. Louis Republic., 1903-12-30

WHO ARE PROMINENT IN THE CON-
TON. "
lied for any common action and as they
rarely fail to antagonize one another they
may be said to represent the disorganiza-
ton OF labor rather than its organi2a-
tion. On the other hand, large amounts
of capital are organized in corporations
trusts and combinations. ~
The writer has been for over fifty years
ganizations of capital. Within that period
he has never known OF the existence Of
any large organization or combination of
capitalists, or of managers chosen as the
officers of each of these corporations. who
had combined for any purpose of attempt
Ing either to force any general reduction
In the rates of wages of employees, or for
what is called blacklfsting the members of
trades unions. 1t may be admitted. how
ever, that these large employers Of labor,
being more familiar with the general con-
dition of the occupations In which their
capital Is employed and being more capa-
Bile Of intelligently or instinctively fore
casting prospective conditions, often act
on the same lines as if, they were COM
bined under an agreement or organization
OF capitalists. The same motives and fore
casts actuate them at the same time, so
that they act together as the textile manu-
facturers are now acting. ~
ut is not to be inferred from this state
ment that any. exception is taken to the
organization of trades unions. They are
a natural outcome of modern conditions of
industry and are due in large degree to
the displacement Of the Individual man
ager of mills and workshops by the cor
porations. Trades unions are schools. but
they are as yet primary schools. IN the
study of social economy. As their men,
bers become individually more and more
they cease to adopt violent and aggressive
methods: they witness more and more the
evils of strikes and boycotts. and they are
primary school, which VIII by and by
qualify them for the high school course
in the organization of labor.
Neither is 1t intended to affirm that all
intelligence in dealing with worlsmen.
Strikes, boycotts violence. force and lock-
outs are often indications of the ignorance
on the part of workmen and of ignorant
capitalists. Therefore they are evil. They
have destroyed the harmony or communi-
ty of interest which in the nature of
things exists In the relation Of labor and
capital. which harmony and community
of intelligence on the part Of laborers and
capitalists alike, one or both.
INTERESTS MUST BE THE SAME.
Aside from the small and lessening
number Of those who accept the theory of
the iron law of wages so called, of Karl
Marx and Lasalle, both bodies of men,
capitalists and workmen, comprehend the
fact that the interests of capital and la
Dor are and must be the same. The la
borer- without capital in some form is
owned or belonging TO another-that is to
say, without tools and machinery-even II
he possesses land, can barely exist by the
most arduous and sordid TOLL while capi-
tai and buildings, brick. mortar, machin-
cry and tools is absolutely inert. without
the possibility of service unless worked In
cooperation with working people or labor
for mutual benefit and support.
"Is there any way in which the neces-
sary harmony between capital and labor
can be brought into effect by capitalists
and workn1en? Possibly there may be-
Manufacturers and employers of labor in
many branches of industry and in many
parts of this country are now planning to
combine for mutual insurance against n
loss by strikes. When a great factory OF
any kind is stopped by strike. what are
wages are saved. The officers. the heads
of departments, many of the highest class
of employees who seldom belong to a trades
union, must be continuing the service and
penses and the cost of insurance and other
charges continue - . - as
I'm rough-and-ready way one may
take as a standard proportions which are
almost an example of general average.
We find the cost of materials which are
converted in the factory or workshop into
finished forms ready for fina! sale comes
to fifty or sixty per cent OF the total cost
of the finished product. The fixed charges
come to about five per cent. The wages
of the workmen come to from twenty to
fer this organization of capitalists is that
each shall make small annual ecftri-
button or premium. so called. to mutual
insurance company. which shall assure to
the term of strike. at the rate of about
five per cent of the value of the total
product for one year. Other similar COM
binations prove that such an organization
for. mutual insurance against loss by
strikes would be simple, sure and safe at
very small ratable charge each year
upon each member. 49, .p
Edward Atkinson of Boston, Mass, th,
well-known anti-imperialist, dealt with
the problem OF preventing strikes, boy
colts and lockouts in a paper entitled,
The The Application Of the PRINCIPAL of Mu,
Strikes" which was read by John Frank
lin Croweil at the morning session of the
Section on Social and Economic Science
lids Ia diseussing The various phases of the
ideas. perhaps, were visionary. for which
pared. Mr. Atkinson advocates the for
nation of a mutual insurance company of
employers and employed for the preven-
tal and labor are. thus combined for their
mutual protection organized labor may be-
gin to develop Its true power and func-
ton. He said. In part:
But IF this plan of mutual insurance
against strikes is limited to the organiza-
tion of capital II may be deemed antagon-
istic to laborers and might excite a pref
udice, although II would be'fni the true
interest OF labor becausesit would tend to
prevent strikes -
ut may now be remarked, on the best
testimony that can be. obtained. that in
proportion to the intelligence and skin re-
quired on the part of the workmen ihe
long TO trades unions. The larger
proportion remain nonunion men. each re-
taining his own right to work for whom.
where, en- what terms, and for what
wages are to him most profitable 1t Is
also alleged that a very large number Of
the members of the unions join them be-
cause there is no other organization of
labor. BY SO doing they secure to them
selves the benefits Of such payments as