The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937, 1915-09-04


final approval to report that will be
filed with the clerk of the house of rep
resentatives for presentation to congress,
when it convenes next December.
The commission has issued excerpts
of the report, which includes supple
mental views of all the members.
he principal report. prepared by Basil
NJ Manly, the commissions director of
research and investigation covers every
phase of industrial unrest and the causes
therefor. This is approved by Chairman
Walsh and Commissioners O'Conncll.
Lennon and Garretson. 1t declares the
cruX of the whole question of industrial
relations is Shall the workers. for the
protection of their interests, be organ
lied and represented collectively by their
chosen delegates. even as the stock
holders are represented by their direct
ors and by the various grades of execu-
tive officials and bosses"
In its plea for wider extension of
democracy i'll industry. this report says :
The ordinary man. whether employer
or worker, has relatively little contact
with the government. If he and his fam
lily are well fed. well housed and well
clothed, and if he can pay for the edu-
cation of his children. he can exist even
under an autocratic monarchy with lit
tie concern until some critical situation
develops in which his own liberty is in
terfered with or until he is deprived of
life or property by the overwhelming
power of his tyrannical ruler. But his
industrial relations determine every day
what he and his family shall eat what
they shall wear, how many hours of his
life he shall labor and in what surround
ings. Under certain conditions where his
individual or corporate employer owns
or controls the community in which he
lives. the education of his children. the
character and prices of his food, cloth
ing and house, his own actions. speech
and opinions, and in some cases even his
religion. are controlled and determined,
insofar as the interests of the employer
make it desirable for him to exercise
such control Such conditions are es-
tablished and maintained not only
through the dictation of all working
conditions of employment by the en-
ployer, but by his usurpation or control
of the functions and machinery of
political government in such commune
ties
The report summarizes the causes of
industrial unrest as follows:
Unjust distribution of wealth and in
come.
Unemployment and denial of oppor-
tunity to earn living.
Denial of Justice in the creation. in the
adjudication and in the administration
of law.
Denial of the right and opportunity to
form effective organizations
1t is shown that A families possess ag-
gregatc incomes totaling at least $50, ,000,-
GOO per year. while between one-fourth
and onc-third of male workers in factor
les and mines, Is years of age and over,
earn less than $40 per week and only
about one-tenth earn more than 20 per
week
To check these swollen. unearned for
tunes, it is recommended that congress
pass an inheritance tax law and that
all funds of deceased over 81 100000 re-
vert to the government. In support of
this action, the report says:
"1hesc heirs. owners only by virtue of
the accident of birth. control the liveli-
hoods and have the power to dictate the
happiness OF more human beings than
populated England in the middle ages.
Their princpalities, it is true, are scat
ownership, shared in part with others :;
such scattered, invisible industrial prin-
cipalities are a greater menace to the
welfare of the Nation than would be
equal power consolidated into numerous
petty kingdoms in different parts OF the
corntry. They might then be visualized
and guarded against-now their influence
invisibly permeates and controls every
phase of life and industry.
"The families Of these industrial
princes are already well established and
are knit together not only by commercial
alliances, but by a network of inter
marriages which assure harmonious ac-
ton whenever their common interest is
threatened"
1t is declared that the unemployment
situation will not be "appreciably reliev-
cd until great advances have been made
in removing the two prime causes-un-
just distribution Of land and natural re-
sources.
Under the head Denial Of Justice,
the numerous charges Of workers are
supported, and the report declares;
"'rhe establishment of property rights
and personal rights on the same level
can leave only a constant and ever grow
mo menace TO orr DODlllar institutions