Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-28

tne broken link be mehded?
II l discuss with apparently too
great frequency the relations between
capital and labor, 1t is because l be-
lieve the whole foundation Of the re-
public rests thereon; 1t is because
lshelieve that without mutually salts
hying conditions neither business nor
workers can fulfill their proper des-
Sdny: it Is because the problem is
brought straight In front Of my face
10y both classes every day ~ the sun
rises. On no subject do receive
more earnest, thoughtful letters from
every part OF the country.
Moreover, the betterment of the
under dog must appeal to every man
withea heart not utterly hardened by
the rough experiences Of daily life
And can conceive of no more use
6ul service than contributing, in ever
so humble a degree, to bring about
better relations between the two
classes into which society Is broadly
divided--employer and employees.
5 OF course, one must be prepared to
be misunderstood, to be suspected of
sinister motives, to be misrepresented
and maligned by representatives on
either side. That. however, is all in
the days work. A consciousness of
steering a straight, honest course ac-
cording TO ones inner lights is all
the armor one needs TO render such
attacks innocuous.
Curiously enough, as / was about
to begin writing this article, ! re-
ceived long letter bearing more or
less on the Subject / wanted to dis
cuss namely how to help to bring
employees A little nearer employers
for the advantage of both. Let me
print enough of the letter to show it's
tenor-it is from Paterson, N. j.,
somewhat noted for such sentiments;
Though | am only a mere ma
chinist. one among the many mil
lions of those obscure toilers upon
whose shoulders is propped the whole
fabric of society-shoulder that with
the slightest movement shake the
structure and with heaye and a toss
can overthrow the same, / am always
an interested reader Of your COM
ments on finance and business. In
variably do not agree with you.
you seem to think a few sops
thrown to the workers from the table
of affluence, the curtailment Of un-
employment and a greater amount OF
work may settle the disaffection
among the workers. differ with you.
The desire of the wage workers
as agclass, is not more work, not even
more money for less work, but more
class power, more and still more class
power, all power. Political power
they have; absolute industrial power
they must have.
"AlI the arguments pro and con as
TO the rights Of capital, every spe-
cious reasoning in favor of vested in
terests, the theory of the right OF
preponderance of brain over Drawn,
all the ideas of the sacTedness OF
clerical classes must yield before the
Overwhelming demands of labor when
the psychological moment arrives
movement that is approaching Tar
more rapidly than the supposed to- be
thinkers of society are aware of.
Down here in obscurity, working
at vises, singing hammers against
chisels, pudding mortar and digging
bitches, are men who are thinking
and realizing as those thoughts are
animating their brains that they are
also animatlng the minds Of millions
of toilers in workshops and facto-
ries all over the universe.
"They are striving to inculcate the
IDEA that the worker is entitled to all
the comforts OF existence, and
through the collective application OF
his class power to force upon society
the recognition Of social, economical
and industrial equality
whether labor reates all wealth
or whether capital Is stored up, UNI
spent and undissipated labor, matters
not to them. The fact that the power
of its storage and dissipation is held
nv a minority class and regulated by
its desire for profits while giving its
nossessors a social and economical
superiority over the rest Of mankind
is suficieht reason for change In
the structure of society.
THE wage workers are realizing
that for centuries they have been la
boring under deIusion that because
they puddled mortar and laid brick
they must be socially and economi--
cally inferior to some others AND
now they have reached a realization
that the next move will naturally be
to end it."
Suggestions of intimidation need
friRhten no one any more than walls
Of certain capitalists that to pfy into
their operations and seek to regulate
them must bring chaos and destruc-
ton There is much solidity at the
middle.
Through intimate mixing with
,,.orl.aYs Of all kinds, / am prompted
to throw out the following simple
suggestion. for l believe it would
tend in some slight measure TO re-
establish direct relations between
EMPLOYEES and their employers;
Let the president, or whoever is
the supreme head, of each corpora
lion invite every man and woman IN
his employ to communicate DIRECT
IY by speech or letter, whenever
any real occasion arises
Complaints, ideas for improving
methods. suggestions of any kind. all
should be insured of FIRST HAND,
personal perusal. without first going
through the hands Of any subordinate
whatsoever.
Most workers have faith in the
man at the very top, the big boss.
Buit oftentimes they have genuine
cause for feeling less confident OF re-
ceiying as square a deal from UNDER
studies. The latter are apt, for ex-
annie. to play favorites in a petty
way. or they may present 70 the
.-fr Inc