The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-10-12
Preacher in Peoples Church in
st. Paul, and Dean in Depart
ment Of Sociology in University
Of Minnesota on Labor Ques-
tion,
His Book on THE Industrial Con,
fliot" brings: Forth Much Oriti-
oism From Both Union Labor
Advocates and Manufacturers
Cult, :


Advocates and Manufacturers
| Cult.
The parties concerned in all labor
problems are the employers, employees
| and the public. Each has a common
interest in production and in the gen
eral welfare Of the country, and each
is entitled to hearing in all labor
disputes.
DR.. Samuel g. Smith, of the Depart
ment of Sociology 1.-The University Of
Minnesota, has recently contributed a
book to the literature OF the times on
| THE Industrial Conflict" This book
Is exciting much criticism from all
| sources In the industrial field.
However, DR.. Smith hits at some-
thing fundamental as he discusses the
relative position of the three factors
to society in general. He surveys the
industrial field through a perfectly
| clear glass, and his conclusions are the
result of careful search into the
| methods and practices Of whole indus
trial fabric. (:
Beginning with an analysis Of the
relation of all parties to the problem
OF labor, DR.: Smith says that any solu-
tion that Is to be either wise or satis-
factory must consider the interests of
| the three. The parties are the en-
ployer, the employed and the public.
Real Relation .of Each;
The most conspicuous difficulty in
coming to any agreement is in secur-
Ing the recognition on all sides OF the
real relation Of each Of these parties.
The emplayer cannot get along with
out laborers. He may have the best
machinery, the finest plant, abundant
| raw material and waiting markets, but
| II there are no willing hands to help
| him, not wheel will turn, the raw
material. will perish In waiting, and
the public will suffer from a sense OF
need. The workingmen need the en-
ployer. They may have good health,
abundant skill, and a desire to toll, but
If there are no tools and no raw ma
terial, there can be no employment
Somewhere and somehow there must
be secured a supply Of stored-up labor.
Labor must have been successful be-
| yond the point Of the daily needs in
order that surplus wealth may become
Ecapftal s:@x - 81 ~ sglzH< 80
But though employer and employed
| come to an understanding, and the
best men turn out the best product.
| the wheels must soon cease to hum
| and the tools to do their work If there
is no waiting public ready to consume
ha ME nd vNYen6 AvSI H.
has real right to express itself upon
any controversies between employer
| and workingmen which make the pro-
duct scarce or dear that the public
| desires to use.
Some False Philosophy.
A national labor leader In q recent
address expressed himself thus: II
| think that the man who builds a house
ought to live in it, and the one who
weaves beautiful garment ought to
wear the garment" This doctrine,
without modification or explanation,
was stated as the essence Of the whole
question. It is not too much to say
| that more economic falseh1od could
| scarcely have been put in the same
limited space. If the house or the gar
ment constituted the sole want Of the
worker, and he owned the raw ma
terial, no one could question the
soundness Of the utterance, but since
the man who builds q mouse needs
.. food and drink, clothing and books and
all the appliances of civilized life,
without which the house is Of no value
at all, he must build not one house, but
several houses in order to be entitled
to one Of his own. In like manner,
the weaver of the beautiful garment
can only have other needs supplied
which are more imperative, when he
is willing to part with. the beautiful
garment in barter to satisfy the other
| wants.
Where All Differ.
There is a point of view from which
it would seem as if the interests OF
the three parties are always at war
The employer wishes the highest price
for his product; he wishes to pay the
smallest wages, and to buy his raw
material at the lowest price. The la
borer wishes the shortest and easiest
days work with the highest wages.
The public wishes to buy the best
| the economic emphasis is placed upon
any one Of these apparently conflicting
interests, no solution can be reached.
1t is necessary to- resolve these Diff
ferences in a higher unity, II. such a.
thing can be found. The student must.
therefore, seek to hnd some point Of
view from which the interests OF the
three parties may be seen to be iden-
tical. The employer desires large pro-
ducts; manifestly the only way that
he can secure large products Il by
successful production. He must econ
omize at every point, make every
stroke Of work count. His plant must
be located at such q place that he can
secure the raw material as cheaply 40
possible. He must also be able to find
his market near his factory. II the
market be far, the raw material must
certainly be near. Il the raw material
be far. he must nnd his compensation
In near and eager markets. Success
ful production Is the source of wealth.
The laborer wishes higher wages; he
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