The Washington herald., 1916-05-22
Americanizing the Industries.

money as the result OF the European war; it
may be doubted whether today we can point
to single benefit that has to US in the
two years with confidence that it is permanent
and substantial War has not been without its
vital and insistent lessons to US, but if we have
learned them we have yet to turn them to ac-
count. A beginning has been made in at least
one direction however for while confused dis
cussion is in progress as to the probable effects
upon industry and labor in the United States of
the war, and the new peace that is to follow
practical movement has been undertaken by some
of those Americans in whom the business instinct
lis combined with qualities of craftsmanship,
which if carried to complete success will within
the present generation yield vastly larger returns
to American industry than all of the war orders
which are the basis of its present prosperity.
This important movement is we'll described in
the Bache Review, the weekly publication OF ]. S.
Bache & Co., of New York, as "Americanizng
the Industries" and is the outgrowth of the dis
covery when the began to make demands
upon resources that the country was seriously
handicapped industriay because its working units
could not be assembled into one smooth-running
piece of machinery and operated to the best ad
vantage and TO the best interest OF the United
States and its people.
Almost at the outbreak of the war employers
ulSSONSISu lildl lOIelSH-DO1n WOIRlIlSn WClC
not to be depended upon. Those who did not
enlist became restless and turbulent and the stu
alton justified the gravese forbodings as to what
might happen in the event of in this coun-
try Furthermore, "a comparison of the services
of native-born naturalized workers with for
Ieign-born showed better output on the part OF
the former"
The methods which have been adopted and
the progress made in the direction Of intoxicating
patriotism in the ranks OF the foreign-born work
ers and offering incentives for dependability and
increased productivity is thus described in the
publication above referred to:
These industrial corporations concluded that
teaching the English language and promoting
American citizenship would be very important
factors in keeping their men together, steadyng
employment and increasing efficiency.
Several plants have adopted what is called
the Americans First policy, which gives pref
erence IN promotion to native born naturalized
citizens, and also to foreigners who are earnestly
preparing Il msclves for citizenship. One COM
pany offered wage increase of cents hour
to all their workmen who attended evening school
classes in English and citizenship. Others estab-
hshed classes in English in their plant and
required foreigners who did not speak English
to attend these classes during working hours
receiving regular pay while so doing One
pany found that So per cent Of accidents in the
plants occurred among the foreign-born work
men, who constituted but ! per cent OF the total
number employed The company then establish
such instruction reduces the number OF accidents.
Many industries have concluded that this
Americanization work is worth much more than
its cost, from an efficiency standpoint They
willing to assume the cost of making citizens for
the profit 1t brings in improved conditions OF pro-
duction.
interest, by Detroit last fall, in a campaign of
"Americanizing the City" The work
cessful that the most important plants there EN-
ploying immigrant labor, following the work
up in the most systematic manner
By system Of night schools in English and
citizenship extending over the whole city, with
attendance urged upon foreign-bOrn workmen,
record cards strictly kept regularity of attend
ance encouraged and rewarded, and negligence
frowned upon, this city Of preponderating foreign
born labor is fast becoming an American
munity.
Under the inspiration of the efforts of the Cham
Der Of Commerce OF the United States, a wide
of Americanization activities through other
boards OF trade has been established. including
the commercial organizations OF st. Louis. Bos-
ton Kansas City, Chicago, New Haven Wilkes
Barre. Evansville, Hartford, Harrisburg. Passaic,
Wilmington, Brockton, Mass, Niagara Falls and
Yonkers n Y, and Granite City, III.
What effect the close of the war will have
upon the labor situation in this country cannot
be foretold. Whether immigration, which has
fallen off tremendously will be revived or
whether we shall have to depend in much greater
measure upon native workers. the future must
disclose 1t may be assumed, however, that those
Of foreign birth remaining in industrial
establishments view American institutions with
greater favor than those who have departed for
various reasons and hence are better subjects
for the process of Amercanization. If these men
can be made loyal citizens by the methods which
have been adopted, their influence upon those
who may later will be of incalculable value
and may look forward to permanently better
conditions than were revealed at the outbreak OF
the war. That the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States is giving active support to the
Americanization movement is evidence of how
seriously employers have regarded the danger to
our industries, and how earnest is the undertake
ing TO overcome it.
a DisoracefuI Faro