Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-24

xWO
s can business men arc world problems,
\ rather than American domestic prob
lcms. America must understand the
> world. in order to subject ii TO its
( peaceful service. And yet when we
: look upon the field OF American busi-
ness there are some things that dis
turb US. Some men seem TO think that
s the way to advance American business
IS to walk backward and TO attempt
again the provincial policies which
have characterized an age when We
shut our doors against the influences
" the world.
CLOUD UPON RELATIONS
or CAPITAL AND LABOR
But the chief cloud that is upon
s the domestic horizon is the unsatis-
. factory rotations OF capital and labor
There Is only one way. gentlemen, IN
which the relations OF capital ana Ia
Dor can be rendered satisfactorN: tina,
is by in the first place, regarding Ia
Dor as a human Relationship of men
with men; and, in the second place. to
regard labor as part OF the general
partnership Of energy which, is going
TO make for the success Of business
men and business enterprises IN TINS
country. so long as labor and capital
stand antagonistic. the interests oil
both are injured, and the prosperity OF
America is held back from the triumphs
Which are lesitimately its own
Labor is not a commodity. 1t is a
form OF corporation and the
laboring man is 4 partner OF his cm-
blower.
81 nave recently been through an
experience which distressed me.
tried to accommodate = difference DO
tween some OF the employees OF the
American railways and the executives
of the American railways. and shc dis
trcssing thing discovered was that
on the one hand there was unlimited
.uspicion and distrust Of that side. and
that that suspicion and distrust was
returned by the other Side In full meas
urc
"The executives AID no, believe in
the sincerity OF the men. and tho men
did not believe In the sincerity and fair
ness of the executives, and whilo arbi-
tration was being discussed had this
sad thought: arbitration IS = word as
sociated with the dealings Of hostile
There ought TO he no such thin" as
tho contenpl atson Of hostility as he
tween men whose interests are the
same. and who should co-operatc TO-
Eether.
REAL PRODI.EM TO BRING
TWO SIDES TO NDl.R SIN Nj
and, therefore. i, came upon me
with a force that it.0lad never had be-
fore. that the real problem Of capital
and labor was To bring the two sides
to understand and iyleNc in one an
other; that the problem 81 tue next
generation, If America were really &
release her energy. was 10 be- TINS
real, genuine. fundamental rcyoue!l;a-
lion between capital and labor
You know that when the publ-a be
gun to notice this controversy, u hNd
already been going on for som" time
| had been watching il with great
anxiety. and when II became evident
that an accommodation was not going
TO be reached, | thought IL my duty
TO try my hand at the difficult task OF
accommod ton. because l knew now
i much WAS involved.
Before consulted with them. o:
course. made myself acquainted viii
The points At controversy, and ! lcarn.t
that thcy were very simple indeed: aha
the men demanded an eight hour daE
( and that in order 10 make the eight
hour day work they demanded taat ti=
railroads pay them oae-haif more io'
overtime than they paid them ior the
lime in the regular day s4w
at once that ;ncrc was one Iart %.
this that was arbitrable. buy tha;. III
my opinion, there was another par; tbs,
was not arhitr-ble 90 no: r~gara
the question Of the principle a. III.
cighthoUr day - aro!t!au!e
The first thrlS ,old both les
hetore requested their Cg.-.U- sTls
rhat>il stood for "a eiGht-ho-E l-H
received no suggestion O! ans hr
from either stI. as 10 waa- ~, ra
OF scr lcmcnr WAS 20 be, ,&eept t.l
the railroad executives sid suggest It'll.
Congress give them s0-at sort a. a.
surance that = the -iGi.;-hcuc asE -a
/. INTO operation. tley wouit GO j.
- creased rates for ;ae carr:aE" o.
freight.
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