The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-24
LET LABOR SHARE RISK OF
CAPITAL, SAYS BRANDEIS
Tells Industrial Commission
Division of Loss Is Part
of Social Justice.

Louis D. Brandes OF Boston, who has
for the last few years and who has been
actively engaged in experiments designed
TO eliminate Industrial warfare, ran coun-
ter to the testimony OF Samuel Gompers
and to the declaration of some of the
commissioners when he told the Commits
sion on Industrial Relations yesterday
that about the only hope labor unionism
had OF prevailing was the elimination Of
the idea that to increase the production
of the individual was to harm the organi-
cation.
1T is my belief" he said. that an
increase of production and a stoppage OF
waste Will Increase appreciably and per-
manenuy the welfare of organized labor.
II WIRE an Industrial worker | would
belong to a union. and the first thing |
would try 70 do would he to make the
union man superior in accomplishment to
the non-union man. I would try To make
every other man feel that he was a traitor
to the cause of unionism II he didn't
give the best that was In him. And OF
course there Is no defence for tn, man
who tries 10 advance the cause OF
unonism through violence. | think unions
hav made great mistake In protecting
unionism than the man who INDUCES In
violerce"
Having told Of the mistakes made by
centralized capital Mr.. Brandcis said
that the mistakes OF organized labor were
the oorrelatives Of these mistakes.
Capital Sometimes Underpaid.
"6ne mistake" he said, rs that tho
worker often thinks that the employer
Is making a great deal NOR" tlAu he
ought to make, and this at the expense
of the workman. As "A matter Of fact
capital il not always making more
than 1t ought to often the en-
ployer is not making as much as he ought
10. The trouble Is that figures look big
10 those who have no realization OF per
Centages. WorNingmen do not realize
the risk OF great losses and that fire.
quently large profits In one direction
barely countorbalance losses In another.
one OF the great evils ~ the present is
the failure Of many people TO understand
he y difficult Il is to make money"
Mr. Brandeis said he beleveI that great
Capitalization Of industry had often i'm
proved the physical condition Of the work
men but he thought that the vast power
which comes from Capitalization had been
used TO block the advance of unionism, al
though he wanted II made clea. that such
exercise of power proceeded from moi;
necessarily bdd motive. lie dudel tOht
tho improvemsv. OF the physical condition
OF the worker was often accompanied by
q decrease in manhood
I'VE must remember" he said. that
we are y democracy and that We must
have men. We are committed to social
justice, but primarily we are committed
to democracy. and social justice is only
an Incident OF democracy. II H. its high
est expression, but At the bottom there
mus; be real democracy. The working
men cannot shift til responsibility for
their condition, nor can tho employer he
permitted to solve tn problem according
TO his own ideas.
This problem is ono for both tho en-
ploycr and The employee. No scheme Of
profit sharing or Of bonuseJ, no gift o.
higher wages. no mere lbc,iity can
mec; this situation There must he a
division Of the responsibility and Of
r-cH's The worker must have a voice IN
determining how the business shall no
run, but when mistakes are made the
worker must share In the results OF
those mistakes. The privilege OF max