Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1915-12-09


ing ana studying the development Of
the capitalist system OF industry. The
fundamental thought running through
the work OF hIaIA and EngeIs Is that
capitalism, by iUs own development
and evolution paves the way Tor So
clalism. 1t is probable that the great
SOCIALIST thinkers OF a generation ago.
lid not fully realize the tremendous
vitality and potential possibilities OF
the capitalist system OF industry.
They anticipated that capitalism
would run it's course much sooner
than now seems likely to be the case.
Nevertheless, their fundamental ideas
were undoubtedly correct, and year
by year, we can see how capitalists, in
their efforts to organize and develop
their business so as to increase pro-
fits are unwittingly paving the way
for the Socialist, State.
The development of capitalism has
proceeded mainly along two lines
financial and, Industrial The forma-
ton OF powerful corporations and
trusts has been the principal work of
the leading fnanciers in our genera
ton. To a large extent, they have
eliminated the chaos and waste OF
competition. Thus, they have been
paving the way for collective owner
shlp and management of industry
Professor Hoxie's study of scientific
management shows that capitalism is
making a similar advance on it's in
dustrial side. Waste of labor and ma
lerials is being eliminated, and so far
as possible, the whole process of pro-
duction is being put on a scientific
basis. Methods of accounting and
control are being worked out which
make it possible to keep track of
what every worker is doing and to
adjust his tasks according to his
strength and capacity.
When the fathers of scientific So
! cialism were asked to describe in de
tail how the Socialist state would be
, Organized and managed, they very
wisely declared that these problems
| would be solved in the course of in
dustrial development, and it would be
idle for them to paint Utopian pic
lures Of the future state. However
many of the problems of collectivism
are being solved by capitalist trust
builders and scientific managers. The
one all-important element which il
lacking in their constructive work i.
the element of Democracy.
While Professor Hoxie recognizes
the merits and possibilities of scienti
hc management, he Is not blind tt
/ its shortcomings in actual practice
and to the fact that under capitalism
its effects may be positively anti
social and harmful to the working
class. Those features of scientific
management which would be especial
II beneficial to the WORKERS., fol
example, protection from overworl
and exhaustion, are not applied il
actual practice when the employers
feel that their profits will thereby b.
reduced Here, as elsewhere, thu
capitalists who control the industries
and. who therefore have it within
their power toy accept or~reject scien
tific. management, seem to accept onl,
such science as will increase the SIZE
of their bank accounts.
One of the principal objects of thil
study was to ascertain the effect O
the Introduction of scientific manage
ment on labor organizations. Pro
fessor Hoxie shows very clearly tina
one Of the main objects OF scientific
management is to make each indivi
dual worker practically Independent o.
every other worker so far as his
speed, skill and compensation are
concerned. The systems of paymen,
employed under scientific manage
ment tend to make collective bargain
ing superfluous, II not impossible. Ii
fact, the foundations on which trade
funionism now rests are almost entire
ly destroyed in those shops where
scientific management has been in
stalled. Therefore, it is not surpris
ing that trade-union leaders are un
alterably opposed to scientific man
ageemnt as it is now being introduced
Where such management goes in, the
trade union almost certainly goes out.
The advocates of scientific manage
ment claim that rights of labor will
be amply protected even if the unions
are destroyed or die out. It is preci-
sely at this point that their SCIENCE
seems to be most faulty! No system
of scientific management has yet been
discovered switch harmonizes the
antagonistic economic interests of
capitalists and wage workers. It
must never be forgotten that the CAPT
taliefS who oUn ond oon+ro1 +Io =.