The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-09-03
HlpI c ] if IoYAl iilB tue 2
q IS TESTIMONY OF JAMES MELBOURNE
1nstancesn the Toiler Has Helped His Employer and
Shown Great Gratitude for Fair Treatment. +
Kilbourne's Testimony.
nconrovrabe Evidence That It Pays the Employer To
His Employees Well apd To Live Up To the Golden
Rule In His Dealings With Them.

conduct, no; one should be discharged
without least a weeks notice-long-
er If his circumstances are poor-so
that he may have an opportunity of Sc
curing other employment immediately
upon formulating his connection with
us. Nearly 30 per cent. Of the men
now living who were with us years
ago are With us today.
Now, few words as to feelings ex-
hibited toward US by our employees.
could relate numerous instances show
ing their loyalty and devotion to our
interests, but one WILL think, suffice,
the like Of which I have never heard of
before nor since. Some weeks after
the beginning Of the great panic in
1898 when trouble and dissolution was
spreading over the land, there filed in
to my office at our shops one morning
some Ii or. 20 men representing the
different shops OF our works, They
bore serious countenances and a seri-
ous manner and my heart sank within
me- One OF my most earnest hopes
had been that there should never be
any trouble between our employees and
myself, and I thought, Here it has
come at last
How Employees Appreciate Fair Play.
Finally, one Of the men arose and
said: Mr.. Kilbourne, we have hest
tated about coming here; we have
thought about it great deal and be-
lleve we are right, and We hope you
VIII receive the suggestion we have
10 make IN the spirit in which It is
of1ered. We have seen in the daily
papers accounts Of the failure of this
firm and that firm and the other firm
which has existed for many years and
were thought to be strong enough to
resist any panic. We know that your
warehouses are filling up with goods.
. We know that, as is the case with
other manufacturers, you cannot sell
the goods you are making today and
cannot get your pay for the goods YOU
have scld. We do not know what your
circumstances are, but we fear that
they may be like those of the other
men who have failed. Some of us
have been here for a few years: some
OF us many years. some Of us almost a
generation. We have had good pay;
We have been able to save up some
money, and while the individual saw
ings are not large the aggregate is
very considerable sum. We have come
to Tell you that it is all yours, to do
with what you please, If you need it in
the Interest of your company
"Oh, my friends, l will leave it to
you to try to think what my feelings
were upon that occasion, because I
have never from that time to this been
able: to- find words which could prop
efly express them.
And now let me pass to the cQnsid-
GRAFTON of those things which labor
seeks and which must be granted be-
fore we have industrial peace.
Labor Not Getting It's Share.
1T is evident that the wage earners,
as class, are not getting their share
of the profits produced Jointly by labor
and capital. The wonderful accumula-
ton of wealth by the few, the frequent
labor agitations, the number and pro-
portions Of labor strikes all demon
strate this.
There are, of course, exceptions,
but, generally speaking, labor does not
receive it's full share. While it is true
that the standard of living among the
working people has greatly improved
during the present century. 1t is, con-
s1derlng the vast increase In wealth
and change in general conditions dur
ing that time, still far from what it
should b..
II never visit the home of a COM
mon laboring man but I am impressed
with how few of the conaforts-not to
speak Of the refinements-of life are
possible for him, and his patience is a,
constant marvel. To many of them
Life is a tragedy too deep for tears
Improving public opinion, a growing
conviction that we are our brothers
keepers, is a strong force tending to
better the situation of wage earners,
but while instances multiply where
just and kindly relations between en-
ployer and employee prove by their
results the benefits to each Of the
mutual recognition Of brotherhood,
making in some instances labor unions
unessential: yet, in the majority Of
cases. these are still necessary to Sc
cure just wages, and, what is Of still
greater Importance to American
workingmen, the acknowledgment Of
ANAL roanhoO6O