The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1908-12-17
Mitchell
lakes an
Address
An Equitable Trade Agree
ment ,is;the P oblem to Be
Solved, He Says.
PRAISES FEDERATION
And Believes Time Has Come
for Individual Relations
to Naturally Cease.

NEW YORK. Dec. 15-John
Mitchell, former president OF the
United Mine Workers Of America.
spoke last night as chairman Of the
Trade Agreement Department at the
annual meeting OF the National Civic
Federation. He said:
Coincident with and growing out
OF our marvellous industrial and COM
mercial development, new and per-
picking problems have arisen. the
solution Of which involves alike the
security, stability and prosperity Of
the workmen and employers Of our
country. The invention and install
lation Of machinery and the applica-
ton Of new processes have revolu-
tionized the old system of produc-
ton and distribution and have neces-
sarily developed a new and altogeth.
er complex relationship between the
workman. and the employer. The
Individual employer has merged his
interestsuand identity in the modern
corp oratton and the individual work
man has merged. his interests and his
identity in the trade Organization.
The evolution in the Industrial ana
social life of our people is viewed
with favor or distrust largely to the
extent that 1t affects the personal IN
terests or personal prejudice OF each
individual, or distinctive group.
There are those. not few in num-
her, who view with alarm the organ
ization of both labor and capital and
who predict that safety lies only in
the old system OF individual effort.
And, paradoxical as 1t may appear,
there are many who favor and.
Eprofit by the organization of capital
who yet deny to labor the. right Of
association, Just as there are work
men, who. claiming and exercising
the. right of association and fedora
tion. yet deny corresponding right
to capital.
1t is a waste of time to deplore
the passing CT the Individual rela-
tionship between employer and work
man which existed under the old or
der OF production. The organization
of labor and the combination OF cap
ital Is the natural and logical Sc
quence of cruel, wasteful, and ruin
GUS competition. Whether for veal
or for woe, the old system has gone
forever, and the new alignments,
with all their latent possibilities OF
good and evil are here to stay. To
find an equitable basis OF agreement,
to establish proper understanding
between these two seemingly IT.
reconcilable interests is the problem
which the people of our day and OIL
our time must solve.
The proposition stated candidly
and without equivocation is, shall
these two powerful forces. each In
dispensible. to the other, wage con-
.tinuous and destructive warfare or
shall they recognize each others ex-
istence and adopt measures which
will insure on an equitable basis in
dustrial peace and commercial pros
perity, at the same time aftording to
the general public protection and in
surance against the discomforts, the
cost, and the Inconvenience which ac-
company, industrial strife.
The National Civic Federation I'M
keeping with the spirit of the stimes,
has, DECLARED, that at all times rep
resentatives Of employers and work
ers, organized or unorganized, should
confer for the adjustment of diner
ences or disputes before an acute
stage Is reached, and thus avoid or
minimize the number of strikes or
lockouts; that mutual agreements as
to conditions under which labor shall
be performed should be encouraged.
and that when wage agreements are
made the terms thereof should be
faithfully adhered to, both in letter
and spirit, by both parties From
the foregoing it will be seen that
the National Civic Federation, when
organized. declared In favor of the
trade agreement as a means of main
tanning peace between workmen and
employers, and 1t is to the promotion
of this central idea that the Trade
Agreement Department is devoted.
The trade agreement naturally
pIe-supposes an organization of labor.
the collective bargain. in the very
nature OF things, is impossible be-
tween an individual workman and.
single or associated employers,
However, satisfactory working agree
ments can and often are made be-
tween the individual employer and
hisTassociated employees: but exper,-
ence has demonstrated that thos,