Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-12-08
CAPITAL AND LABOR
ARE BOTH BLAMED BY
MISS IDA N. TARBELL
Complete Reorganization of
American Industries NeCeS-
Sary to DiSpIace Antagonist
and DiStruSt

| NiaA GiSAa WI
| American industry must he reorganized
OIL basis of friendly and peaceable re-
lations between capital and labor. in
place of the present basis of antagonism
and distrust declared Miss Ida Tarbell.
one of the worlds foremost journalists
and writer's, in an interview with rep
resentative of The Journal on her arrival
1 IN Atlanta Wednesday to deliver 4ec-
,ure ct Taft hall Wednesday night under
,he auspices of the Alkahest Lyceum
system.
| "Pig-headed and stubborn labor lead
ership in this country is the result of d
Ipig-headed and stubborn attitude OH the
part of capital toward labor" said Miss
| rarbell
| Every forward movement among the
working people has met with stubborn
opposition on the part of the employers,
who have almost automatically taken a
| stand in opposition to progress.
| This attitude on the part of employ
ers has naturally and inevitably pro-
duced an attitude of distrust and an
| tagonism toward employers on the part
of employees.
THE whole industry of the country
must be reorganized on basis of
4
will this process OF reorganization be ac-
complished? Well. by various means, but
| The main impetus must come from the
/ employers of labor
when employers become open-minded
toward their employees. then employees
will become open-minded toward employ
| ers. This changed attitude will fur
nish the main impetus toward the reor-
ganization of industry.
| GOVERNMENTS PART.
Government. of course, will play it's
part. Already the state government of
Wisconsin is playing a notable part in
| the reorganization of the industries
| of the state. -
| They have an Industrial commission
| which calls in employers and employees
in the case of a dispute. Negotiations
looking to settlement are conducted
| in advance of a strike, instead of aft
! erwards. Each of the three parties
has learned to trust the other two par
| ties. They work tremendously and
smoothly together. They have the best
| laws in Wisconsin of any state in the
| union touching conditions of labor. No
| law of this kind is passed in Wiscon-
sin until the three parties-that is, the
state industrial commission, the af-
fected employers and the affected en-
| ployes-have all agreed upon it.
Employers must realize that mans
| labor is. not a commodity, but the ex-
| preston of his character and his pow
er. They must realize that in dealing
with employees they are dealing with
| human beings They must come to a
more open-minded attitude toward the
great forward movements affecting
conditions among the men and women
who toll.
"And this is not an idle dream of
mine 1t is an accomplished fact in
many, many industries over the coun-
! try. In recent years a wonderful ad
vance has been made toward Indus
trial Idealism,' which is the subject on
which 1 will speak tonight
"By actual experiment in innumer-
able cases II has been demonstrated
| that employees are open-minded and
fair when employers are open-minded
| and fair.
OF course there is room for improve
ment in the labor leadership of the
country. But as 1 have already said,
| labor leadership has taken it's mould
from the leadership of capital"
RAILROAD SITUATION.
Miss Tarbell was asked to give her
ideas concerning the great issue be-
tween the railroads and the four broth
erhoods. She said:
81 am strong believer in the eight
hour day, both in the operation of rail-
| roads and other industries. But with
| the eight-hour day must come improv-
ed efficiency in the management of rail-
roads When the utmost efficiency
has been reached in the management
| of railroads it will be realized that the
! eight-hour day is an essential part Of
that efficiency. Railroad transportation
| must be efficient and must be safe.
| To achieve this twofold objective the
eight-hour day is an essential Henry
Ford is not the only great captain of
| industry who has conclusively and ov-
| erwhelmingly demonstrated that the
eight-hour day pays magnificent divi-
dends for capital. OF course it takes
brains to manage an industry so eff
GENTLY that the eight-hour day is pos
sible. But there is no reason why
brains should not be employed in the
management of railroads. Examine the
financial sheets Of railroads and see
what vast sums of money are paid to
employees for lost time.
president Wilson's entire program
in regard to railroads and their en-
ployes is sound. First, the eight-hoUr
day. Then a commission to investigate
it's workings, with view to increased
efficiency in management. Then a tri-
| bunal for the settlement of disputes be-
tween the railroads and their men. The
latter is absolutely essential to the
safety of the American people, 1t is
intolerable that the very life of the
nation should be threatened by dis
pute between railroads and railroad en-
ployes."
Miss Tarbell, who strongly supported
President Wilson, said she was natural
ly overjoyed by his election. Asked to
give her opinion concerning the politi-
cal Significance of the union of the west
and south in the election, she said:
1.-THE west and the south are the
forward looking sections of the country.
So long as they continue to be and so
long as there is a forward looking man
upon whom they can unite. they will
vote together"
m III