The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-09-23

Organization Is a Necessity and
Must Be Had or Labor Will
Sink to Serfdom. -.
An 0vercrowded Labor Market
:: air:minded Leadership Es-
y sential to Success.

0~A1VA&AA w 0NNVOoOs
The result Of the undivided and ir-
responsible power in business have not
ben fortunate, whether we look at the !
restless, speculative and unsynpathetic
temper Of management or at the dis
asters' which 1t scatters in the commun-
ity or at the overlapping claims and
oppressive wealth which 1t gives rise to
in the form Of trusts. With worlkmen !
kept in a dependent position the trans
itiOn is not far nor difficult tO~a ne !
elect Of all interests save those which
the manager has under consideration.
Special production. special franchises,
a special control of the Instrument Of
commerce, enhanced by extended COM
binatiOn. at length give monopoly Of
advantages which threaten the over
throw of all equality of rights in the
economic world. 1t has been justly
said that the combination Of workmen
is the first time of defense against the
march of a tyrannical few toward a
commercial conquest of the world. We
may well recognize the social value Of
this movement of workmen to establish
for themselves an economic footing and
! to secure a real partnership in the
wealth creating process.
An essential step in the organic
growth Of the community is the COM
bina ton, of labor. Singly the employee
can make no terms with the employer.
He is easily pushed from the shore,
like a spent swimmer. When workmen
stand together in recognition OF the
fact that labor is a primary constitu-
ent in all production they have a posi-
ton from which they can make con-
tract with capital in defense Of mu-
tual rights.
The limit OF business activity is
bankruptcy; the limit of labor is bare
subsistence. A minimum wage would
arrest both forms Of decay at an earlt-
er stage, A minimum wage leaves the
ordinary standards Of life unassailed.
The workman may as well stop while
life IS endurable as to be compelled
to stop when it has become unendur-
able. The recovery from one position
is effected more speedily, and with less
1oss than from the other. Overpro-
duction has gone further, the price OF
commodities has fallen lower, when the
downward movement has ben left to
complete itself at the expense Of the
laborer. The rallying process becomes
painful and partial. The standard OF
life is reduced. and the workman lapses
into stolidity as one who bears burdens
he cannot tighten. Civilization thus
becomes a crushing weight.
The primary source of the trouble Is
an overcrowded labor market. Yet the
weakness which: Is incident to numbers
makea itself felt through separate &C;
ten. aBarbarianss are easily defeated
/, because they are not trained to act to:7
gsther. Let worknen take thoughtful
and deliberate counsel and, the labor
market will take on new appearance.
Il is not the re- fact of numbers
that occasions the difficulty any more
than it is the swarm of savages that
occasions the slaughter.
In pursuing his purposes by legiti-
mate means of combination, method
which is the secret of civilization, the
workman has made some mistakes.
This was unavoidable and has been .
partly due to overlack Of experience
and rarity to the unreasonable opposi-
ton he has encountered. It Is said
that he has lost interest in labor anu
in many ways retards its speedy &C.
complement.
The labor movement has ben the oc-
caston Of able, sustained and fair
minded leadership. If conference is
welcome and real grievances are point
ed out the workmen will not be the
last to correct them. The superiority
in leadership and reasonableness in ad
vancing claims was very manifest In
the coal strike.
The intelligent non union laborer d.
rectly involved in a. strike frequently
recognizes this dependence Of inter-
.ests in employees and makes common
cause with the union. 1t is the sound
ness Of the underlying principle which
has sustained trades unions and car
ried them forward in the face of the
opposition Of employers, Of the indif-
: ference OF the community and Of
majority Of their own class.-Prof.
John Bascom, of Williams College.