Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-15
FOR PROFIT SHARING
Mr.. ingalls, Makes Plea to the
Civic Federation.
DECLARES IT is ESSENTIAL
Necessary to the Development Of
American Trade.
HERMAN BIDDER A CRITIC
Complains That Unions Have Not
Always Been Fair to Employers
Nor to Themselves.
HERMAN BIDDER A CRITIC


NEW YORK. December 15.-"This
! trade of the earth, and If we are to
| progress to this Industrial point we must
| develop the system of profit sharing
This statement. made by Melville f. In
| gals. chairman of the board of directors
| of the Big Four railroad. which was later
concurred in by John Hays Hammond
| was the feature of the afternoon session
Of the Civic Federation yesterday.
The general topic of discussion was the
| trade agreement, which in general was
| commended by all the speakers. who rep
| resented both capital and labor. There
were some criticisms of its universal prac-
tice on the part of some, notably August
Belmont. chairman of the board of direct
ors of the Interborough-Metrop COM
pany, who declared that from his point OF
view trade agreements could not be en-
tered into by public service corporations
until some state law was passed which
would make it violation of a contract
for an employe to leave his work without
due notice.
Samuel Gompers, who talked at some
length on the general field. combated this
idea strenuously, saying he believed such
a law as Mr. Belmont suggested would
be blow at the foundation of our liber-
ties. Going further, Mr.. Gompers de-
clared that it was an error of Technology
to say that it was possible to legislate for
labor or capital on terms of equality.
Capital is a product of labor" he said.
1T may be inanimate. You cannot ac-
cord the same treatment to q dead thing
that you can to living human being.
Ynh-, N;<cho11se Crooob
John Mitchell. chairman Of the trade
agreement department Of the federation,
said, among other things:
1T is a waste of time to deplore the
passing Of the individual relationship be-
tween employer and workman which ex-
listed under the old order Of production.
The organization of labor and the COM
bination Of capital are the natural and
logical sequence of cruel wasteful and
ruinous competition. Whether for veal
or for woe. the old system has gone for
ever, and the new alignments. with all
their latent possibilities of good and evil.
are here to stay.
ITO find an equitable basis of agree
ment, to establish proper understanding
between these two seemingly irreconcil-
able interests, is the problem which the
people of our day and of our time must
solve.
THE trade agreement Is not a specula-
tive or theoretical idea; 1t has been in Op-
Grafton In some industries for many
years: indeed it is the accepted and per-
manent method by which wages and con-
ditions of employment are determined in
many Of the most important industries of
our country, and its practicability is no
longer questioned by workmen or en-
pIoyers who have observed and expert
enced it's humane influence and beneficent
results.
The trade agreement is in substance
| fha ,v,+gf ootc nf hA cfvily md
| the lockout. 1t will not, of course. pre-
| vent all strikes or obviate all lockouts.
| but in the past it has reduced and in the
| future it will to a greater extent reduce
| the number of industrial disputes and
| minimize their intensity"
Some Don'ts' by Mr.. Eidlitz.
Otto NJ. Eidlitz. representing the Build
| ing Trades Employers Organization of
| New York city, said he had believed in
| trade agreements for twenty-five years
but as a result of the consideration of q
number of drawbacks to them he evolved
the following list of 'don'ts.''
Don't split hairs about insignificant por-
! lions Of a trade which a kindred union is
| producing or use the trade agreement as
a cudgel to secure work never controlled
| by the trade.
| Don't attempt to stop progress or handi-
| cap invention.
1
Don't ask a foreman to serve two mas
| tiers.
Criticism by Herman Ridder.
Herman Ridder. president of the Amer
can Newspaper Publishers Association
| spoke on the trade agreements of news
papers. He said that they had worked
out satisfactory results for newspapers
| and their mechanical employees for q
period of seven years. statement which
| he wished to make subject to qualifica
| ton, however. He added:
We had right to assume that thai
| type OF labor, which had asked us to ap
portion to 1t some portion of the prosper
| ity which we had enjoyed. would recog
nize the corresponding obligation and re-
| ciprocate by recognizing our periods OF
extreme depression. Newspapers were
| forced to study Tetrenchment in every di-
rection. but when they turned to the la Dor
| unions for that cooperation and mutual
| regard which was due they confronted q
stone wall.
From many sections complaints are
coming to that with increasing pay
there has come an increased inefficiency
| of labor and that there has been a sub
! version of discipline because the unions
! lave attempted to subordinate our fore
men in the control of our shops and to
substitute for him a so-called chairman
of the chapel Unions have not main
| tanned high standards. They have estab-
| lished guilds that excluded competent and
| deserving labor that was entitled to join
these unions. They sought greater profit
for individuals rather than promotion of
| their craft. The growth of the trade has
| not been provided for.
"Complaints come to US that in some
cities the pay is so high that members re-
| fuse to work more than five days in the
week. They quit their places to make
way for substitutes that are incompetents.
or they leave their posts vacant. Such a
situation with f1rst-class skilled labor
walking the streets in idleness unable to
obtain employment. is serious indict-
ment against the union that permits it to
continue uncorrected."