The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-03-13
Leader So Declares IL In.
EsstcrviewW With frank G.# Carpeii-S
35#5 tn forST,llc 'rimes-Dispa
.THE Pr SHARING SYSTEM $ Il !: |.
observations About Plants i Run YIN
BY lvorkmeil-Re fuscd Pow.
derly's Assistance III Strike.
BY Frank G. Carpenter.
(spccinI Correspondent of The Times
tl u 3Glist

alSf' Dispatch) II
WASHINGTON, D. c.. March III
don't believe iii strikes for tho laboring
man" tjs
These were the words Of Terence ".
y Poverty, us we chatted together In his
Fl house facing the Soldiers liome park this
& afternoon. They are Significant words
because they come from tho mouth OF q
labor leader, a man who has worked WIN
4 his hands and who has Eono through
every graduation OF labor, organized and
..,,norran,zed. Mr.. spowdcrlyf was the son,
/; a a working man. At thirteen he earned
Ms daily bread Tat fifteen he was q. switch
tender; at seventeen no was ali appren-..
&iine tnJ tho Delaware and Hudson car
shops at twcnty-one a ,nachihist, ana .fI
t5for@ years thereafter he worked q ms -
i trade. A man or ability and M orator,
4 ho soon became a leader Of his fellows
3 and after "a time was made general mas
ter workman or the Knights 3of LABOR l'en,
and as such the head @ thn n ! 70
labor Of the United States. my !, y !, :
position for fourteen years, CIV 4E y,
rsne tho knights Of Labor llh "
( thew embraced unions in every part Of.
tho country and had moro than a mlliion
v members. They became q business ana
81 q political force, and Mr.. Powderly. d o
I their head, was tho first &c tho lnbor5
y leaders TO Inspire a respec t for ORGANIZED
labor. II q was cool and col, servative, ano
I va s. In fact, tho advance representa- ''
OF the practical diplomatic. business-l " <!
y me,, who form the best type OF the Ia Dor
leaders ot#to-day. 55 ii. B5@
a After leaving the leadership Of the
knights OF Labor Mr.. Powderly studllco
I law in Pennsylvania and was admlttea 70
the bar there and also to practice pc
Alr,-.
III inrton. II e was. during President Mcl>1il-
sley's administration the commissioner
general Of immigration, but he has has. now NJ,
gone back to his practice althous u ne
"a has by no means dropped his interest," IN
& labor and labor esttons &
8.ys'. Strikes Don't Pay.
mo, Z don't believe in strikes" said ne:
.I have never believed In them and nave
done all cou.- to keep my men out OF
them. They don't pay They are not
n necessary, and they bring great suffering.
Is Nine tenths Of the trouble between en-
Il ploycrs and employees are based on mis-
Ks Understandings and precpitate acton.
Rot II parties AFRO afraid of each other, ana
& they stand off when they should come To-
4 gcther. Sometimes the men lave q grey
ancc and one of the indfscreet among
then complains OF tho situation 70 q
n newspa per reporter and q sensational az
E sticlc&,is published, saying the men are
going to strike. This makes tho employ
er angry He asks why the men tlid not
come to him with their troubles, instead
Of going to the papers The report hurts
II his business, and he is In a ut mood for
a fight. All this Is wrong. The employ
Il. crs and employees should come closer to-
& Eether and each should try to know and
understand the other. They should not
wait for trouble, but should affiliate IN
the interest of industrial peace,
what do you mean by that?" asked.
Isl II mean that when the business Is go
ing on all right and the men are salts
fed the employer show show an interest
in them and. If possible. get closer TO
them. I mean that the men at such a
time should go to their employer and say.
We are doing we'll, we like our job and
we are satisfied with our wages. Now,
n we want to know If there is any way in
which We can help your business. ~ Is
to our intercst$to have you make money
and anything that we can do to make
the business pay better we will 90. Such
i an action wtGlld bring the two together,
and tile average employer. II his sue
cess was greater through such action.
would be glad to reward It by higher
wages" 8
'"Then tho interest of the employer Is
the interest Of The man? asked.
Yes, 1t u.s. replied Mr.. Powdcrly he
men are dependent for their work 'on tho
success OF the capitalist. and he IS de-
pendent on them" @
The Partnership Question.
rs, 'Then why should not the two go into
4 partnership" NIX
"rhey are "a partnership whether tho
men Will acknowledge 1t or not was the
Il reply; "but the partnership differs from
5il the ordinary partnership in that each par
ty has an Individual interest antagonls.
tic to the other Each wants the biggest
share OF the profits; the lnboring mar
his Increased wages. tho capitalist his
In cutting wages down to increase the
profits, The two are working together
but at the same time always pulling
apart 1t Is ono of the most delicate
relations on earth"
"Do you think the laborlng man Is
benefited by being a partner In the shoT
or factory for which no works 2"
Eyes. do. Such partnership. II tht
men have a place on the directorate
shows them how the business is reall,
running. They learn the difficulties. losse.
and troubles of the management ant
get a look at the other side Of the led
Scf.a II business ~ .pith tHeS NIs 'Ss
ready 10 strike and If good they get ;
snare of The profits.
Independent Plants Run by
Workrnen.
4, GLOW about the laborng men joinin
and starting independent places OF thei
own?''
"Such enterprises seldom succeed sal
Z Mr.. Powderly. They have been tried
and they are likely to be tried again no,
that so much money Is accommodating I
Il the treasures of the trades unions. ! Sc
In The papers that some Of the unions c
Chicago have 50 much money they tai
OF starting 4 bank, Tho United Min
# Workers. for instance. have over 0,o
y In their treasury" G
"But, as have said continued NJ
Powderly, esuch things fall, Why? wi
tell you why. Managing a great bus
ness Is as much of profession as IL
proper handling OF certain tools is
trade & 1t Is only to be acquired by ma
ural skill and long training " you shop
put banker to building steam engiI