The labor world., 1917-04-21
WHEN SHEEP RUN AMUCK
BY John S. Pardee in the Public

I. w. w. invasion does not explain.
| The companies had had clear ground
and ample time to gain confidence,
assure justice, establish unshaka BILE
relation, build an enduring edifice 1t
is f1imsy structure that falls when
half dozen Wild-eyed strangers
come wagging their tongues at it.
You are sheep, the companies had
said, we will be your shepherds. Evil
IDENTIFY something was amiss with
their pastorate.
Investigations have brought out
two grievances of which the COM
panies seem to have had no suspicion.
1t was widely believed among the
miners that man had to propitiate
his foreman to hold his job-bring
him a box Of cigars, buy ticket in
his rattle, subscribe to his gift fund,
perhaps pay heavier dues. 1t was
generally, believed that where the
contract system was employed
which affected only the minority-no
man knew what he was getting till
the end of the month; that if he hap
pened on poor pickings the scale
stood, but if he made too much, the
scale was changed on him. In any
case it was generally believed among
the men that for any grievance what
ever they had no redress They ha.!
no say-or thought they had none
as to terms of employment, settle-
ment Of complaints, adjustment OF
differences, assertion of rights
The control of the situation, for
which they had assumed entire re-
sponsibility, had escaped from the
companies. Were foremen grating
on workmen-the companies did not
know it. Did the men imagine .hese
abuses-the companies did not know
of it. Were the men gouged in their
tonnage contracts-the companies did
not know it. Did the men only pre-
sumo they were. imposed upon-the
companies did not know of that. Was
there no redress for unjust dealings-
the companies did not realize it. Was
there any way open for appeals to the
management-the men were not
aware of it. Clearly it never entered
the minds of the managers that these
things were incumbent Oh them to
know and to do, or they would have
attended to it.
AHSoS SOHupdH1CS IIdL SSL lIlC DOSI
engineering talent they can employ
to lay out the work, that adopt the
| best devices they can find for ply
sical safety, that are forward in all
civic Improvements of which they
! have knowledge, they were not will
fully negligent. AS in Colorado, there
was want of comprehension rather
than shirking of duty.
Given the old man-to-man system
of DEALING, the boss need only be
willing to be decent and fair. But
man-to-man cealing is Impossible be-
tween a dozen great corpora ticns and
fifteen thousand miners of twenty
races and tongues, incoherent, irartj-
culate. The companies seem not to
realize that: T~ssST ''..;
Given a sturdy trades union, the
management need go no further than
meet fairly. and decentIy the grier-
ances that are presented. The union
will attend to searching them out
But the companies. which had barred
that way. had opened no other in it's
place. They saw that the men were
sheep; they did not recognize the en-
tailed duties Of shepherding.
Trades union advocates would
probably argue that the companies
had assumed impossible responsible
tiles, that paternalism is necessarily
a failure, that equilibrium can be
reached only as the men learn to
stand on their own feet. that the an
noyances OF a crude labor movement
are inevitable to wholesome growth
in industrial status. That is apart
from this discussion. The companies
have undertaken to be responsible
Conceiyably their policy can be made
to work. Manifestly it will not work
| unless suitable apparatus is devised.
1t is workable policy only as the
| companies take due measures to
know all the facts, to contrive con-
venient approach for adjustments, to
grasp completely the responsibilities
they have laid upon themselves.
Three times the miners have offered
their clumsy method of development:
three times the companies have re-
jected the offer. If they will not let
these men handle their affairs the
best they know how, learn respons-
! ibility the best they can, the man
ayers are bound to find some other
way OF lair dHQ COlu-
Portable and hopeful relations. If the
men can't have a walking delegate the
| companies must appoint one.
!! The responsibility runs to the pub
! lie also. In this generation every
! occupation is affected with a public
| interest, not least the industry that is
! fundamental to the metal trades. We
| have been told that preparedness. for
| peace or war, is possible only with
the whole allegiance Of all sorts and
/ conditions of men. We have been
| warned by British experience that un-
| less every man has sure footing in
| the industrial system and a sensible
| stake in the country, all else is in
| vain. On the face of this record
these miners are aliens. So far from
having sure footing, they have no
standing whatever in the industrial
body. Except they gain footing by
| their own efforts or find it through
| the grace and wisdom Of the employ
ers. there is foredoomed continued in
| dustrial disturbance in the mining dis
tricts and insecurity in the nation.
----A-2--ol-
Curry of Mutton or Veal.-Fry a
large onion, cut fine, in two table,
spoonfGls of butter. Mix a table,
spoonful of curry powder. one tea