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

ang employers and employees. Can
the broken link be mended?
If discuss with apparently too
Breat frequency the relations between
capital and labor. it is because be-
aieve the whole foundation OF the re-
public rests thereon: it is because /
believe that without mutually satis-.
lying conditions neither business nor
workers can fulfill their proper des-
kiny; 1t is because the problem is
brought straight in front of my face
by 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
{ with heart not utterly hardened by
She rough experiences of daily life.
$50
And can conceive of no more use
&til service than contributing, in ever
30 humble a degree. to bring about
better relations between the two
classes into which society is broadly
divided-employers and employees.
OF course, one must be prepared to
be misunderstood, to be suspected Of
sinister motives, to be misrepresented
and rnaligned by representatives on
either side. That, however, Is all in
the days work. A consciousness of
steeringia straight, honest course ac
cording to ones inner lights is all
the arnor 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 its
tenpr-it is from Paterson, N. j.,
somewhat noted for such sentiments:
Though. I am only a mere ma
chinist, one among the many mill
lions Of those obscure toilers upon
whose shoulders is propped the whole
fabric of society-shoulders that with
the slightest movement shake the
structure and with heave and a toss
can overthrow the same, am always
an interested reader of your com
atCIile vi nlldDC6 dllu DubAACfG. Al
.Variably do not agree with you.
You seem to think few sops
thrown to the workers from the table
OF affluence, the curtailment Of un-
employment and greater amount of
work may settle the disaffection
among the workers / differ with you.
THE desire of the wage workers
hs a class is not more work, not even
more money for less HsorlsbaIt more
class power, more and still more class
power, all power Political power
they have; absolute industrial power
they must have.
"All 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 sacredness OF
clerical classes must yield before the
overwhelming demands Of labor when
the psychological moment arrives-a
movement that Is approaching far
more rapidly than the SUPPOSED -tozbe
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 animating the minds of millions
of toilers in workshops and facto-
ries all over the universe.
They are striving to inculcate the
45ea that the worker Is entitled to all
Khe 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
by minority class and regulated by
its desire for profits, while giving It's
possessors social and econ0micai
superiority over the rest OF mankind
is SUFFICIENT reason for a change In
the structure of society.
"The wage workers are realizing
that for centuries they have been la
boring under a delusion that because
thew puddled mortar and laid brick
they must be socially and eeonomi-
callv 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
frighten no one any more than walls
Of certain capitalists that to pry 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
workers of all kinds, l am prompted
TO throw out the following simple
suggestion, for I believe 1t 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
tion 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, al
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
ant oftentimes they have genuine
cause for feeling less confident OF re-
ceivinE as square deal from UNDER
efudies. The latter are apt, for ex-
ample. to play favorites IN a petty