The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-04

be palliative for low wages or Ions
hours, 1t viii fail, of course.
1.-THE wise manufacturer understand
that the men in his shop are more i'm
portant to him than his machinery. and
that their wages do not constitute ar
expense, but take the tangible form OF
an investment. The new conference.-the
I am going hack to q favorite express
sion of my own-teaches that the well
paid worker. free from overstrain, IA
tigue, or disease. is the cheapest pro-
Queer. Let US say that you are en-
ployed in my foundry. The moment
realize that your health and happiness
not to mention your prosperity, are. aside
from human view of your case, assets
to me, you get light, pure air, and the
means of doing your work without dan
ger to your health and efficiency. A
happy employee means a happy en-
ployer. Good wages, steady jobs, and de-
cent hours. Then welfare work. With
out those three fundamentals, or any
one of them, welfare work is a failure
pidest man in the establishment
What do you think of Socialism,
you have given me a huge contract"
Secretary Redfield replied. 81 should
want to read for six months before at
tempting to give You an answer. I'll
say, however, that the destructive criti-
cism Of Socialism is doing it good. The
movement Of the time is toward certain
socialistic ideals. but not toward organ
lied Socialism,
How long have you been a tariff re-
former"
Ever since our company. in 1898. Pc
titioned William L. Wilson, chairman
Of the Ways, and Means Committee In
the House ofARepresentatives. to reduce
the tariff on such articles as we manu-
featured. Mr.. williams thought a pro-
tective tariff was a nuisance. Why?
That would call for a long and techni-
cal explanation. Briefly stated, he
thought we didn't need it, that nobody
needed it. He said it accustomed BUSH
ness men to lean on the national gov
eminent, and therefore made them cow
ards. lessened their efficiency, and weak
ened their originality. They should, so
he argued, depend on themselves and
not on Congress and be energetic, in
ventive, and self-reliant.
II had sold goods abroad. in Paris,
and agreed with him. My convictions
are firmer today than ever before. L
would not venture to cut a triumphant
swath through the middle Of Europe all
at once, but with patience and good
management i feel confident that
could in time get my share of such busi-
ness as / went after. II / couldn't sell
one thing, 1 could another. II l couldn't
sell in one place, l could go somewhere
else. / would do business on my own
ability and with my own goods.
would be a man and not a weakling."
How did you get into politics.
Il was an observer Of public matters
for many years, being a Democrat but
of the independent variety. l worked
with the late Edward NJ. Shepard In his
efforts toward civic reform. Then, in
1902. / was asked to take the Office of
commissioner of public works in Brook
Ign. At luncheon, one day in 1910. sew
eral men urged me to be a candidate
for Congress. They said they should
like to vote for a low tariff manufac-
turer I ran and was elected. getting a
ma jority of 1850 votes in a district which
two years before had given the Repub-
lican candidate a majority of $500. Did
the bosses defeat ME for a second term?
To that l reply. yes and no.
Next / asked Secretary Redfield for his
personal story. He told it without boast.
reluctance, eagerness or humility. Part
Of the time he stood UP and looked out
of a window in his ofIce- Again he
walked about gazing YEARLY, | thought,
at mountainous pile of letters from APP
plicaHts for places in his department. He