Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-02-26
UNIONS
TEACH LESSON
EXALT THE GREAT SPIRIT OF
SELF SACRIFICE
Benjamin Fay Mills Says Movement
Encourages Practical Brother
hood and Devotion to the
Common Good

Benjamin Fay Mills spoke at the reg
ular Fellowship meeting last evening
in Masonic hall on 1.-The Real Conten-
ton of Organized Labor" He said in
part:
I'm his classic work on organized la
Dor John Mitchell takes as sort of text
the utterance Of Carlyle, This that they
call the organization of labor is the
universal, vital problem Of the world
What is ordinarily called the trades
union movement is not something in
itself, but is a part of the general evo-
luton of humanity and can be under
stood only by one who is believer
in the progressive development of the
brotherhood of man. Primeval men
were organized into two classes, the
conqueror and the conquered. Then fol-
lowed the division into masters and
slaves, and that was succeeded by rul-
ers and servants and then by the en-
ployers and employed.
Partial Cooperation
I'VE now live in an era of partial CO.
operation, on our way to the deon-
stra ton Of practical brotherhood. All
of these forms of economic association
imply antagonism, except the last.
1.-THE problem of the world until re-
Gently has been how to produce wealth.
Our modern problem is how to dis
tribute it. The industrial revolution
brought about by the discovery of steam
and modern invention transformed
all the old economic conditions. 1t has
separated the workman from his tools
and made him simply part of the
great mechanical system. 1t has separ-
ated him from his employer and divided
the world OF industry into the capital
lists and wage earners. 1t has separated
him from the sources of wealth, not
only the Instruments of production, but
from land and the natural resources.
1t has also separated him from extern
sive opportunities of rising out of his
class as long as our present system
continues.
Division of Profits
at has never given him a voice in
the determination of the division of
profits. This is a new problem. because
the whole production of profits was
born into the world with our modern
industry. The questions concerning
wages were formerly settled by the fact
that employers We're numerous and
in masses and by the practice of free
competition. Wages is the toiler's
share in the products of industry. 1t
is the claim Of the ordinary employer
that he has the right arbitrarily to de-
eide what this amount shall be, which
practically results in furnishing just
enough revenue to the worker to keep
UP the supply of labor.
1.-THE Individual worker has no chance
of justice in bargaining with the col
lective employer, so the idea of collec-
tive bargaining arose and this is the
ostensibe cause of the existence of the
trade union.
ToiIer's Voice
Underneath this lies the conviction
for the first time in history that the
toiler should have voice in the right
determination of the conditions of labor
and a division of the profits. Under
meath that is the rise of the common
people in intelligence and efficiency ana
character. Underneath that is the
growth Of the democratic spirit and the
attempts that it's principles be applied
to industry and commerce as we'll as
to politics. Underneath that is the
progress Of the ages toward prac-
teal human brotherhood. Underneath
that is the essential unity of the race
and underneath that the great unity,
plan, purpose. spirit, God. This is the
only comprehensive explanation and
justification of human history. 1t Is
shown In political forms, in the unifica-
ton of nations, in scientific discovery
ana practical invention, in the uniVer-
sal mountaineering of mankind and
the attempt at universal understanding
i'm the breaking up of exclusive religions
and the trend toward universal philoso-
ply and universal religion, and now the
necessity for corporation in the world
work.
Two Great Principles
"Organized labor stands for two
great principles. First, economic part
nership. rather than antagonism Of em-