New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-05
Industrial characterization

The mind of the country has been pretty
thoroughly made up to the idea that as
the machinery of government has had to
be reconstructed for the successful prose
cution of the war, the machinery of the in
dustrial world would also have to be re-
made for its share in the operation. As to
the line of reconstruction there has been
no doubt. President Wilson's declaration
that this was war for democracy in
larger sense than the political expressed
the views not alone of the government, but
Of leaders of thought in the business life
of the nation and of the most intelligent
and highest minded leaders of organized
labor. On that basis the government, rep
resentatives of the country's industries and
representatives of the workers have been
cooperating. Union standards have been
adopted as an earnest Of social justice in
war work. Government protection for labor
has been maintained. Price-fXing has been
entered on as a guarantee of fair dealing
to all the elements in transactions affected.
How far this characterization will extend
during the war, into what businesses and
ramifcations of trade, no one can pretend
to say. 1t is sufficient now that general
policy has been indicated. That policy is
certain TO be extended; and nothing ii
human reason or experience gives cause to
believe that it will be abolished after the
war. Whether or not the military war
gives place to a war between economic
leagues, there will be an economic war.
There will be struggle for business,
struggle for production, with all its ele-
ments of industrial dickering. Competition
will be bitter within this nation, as well as
between nations. And as to these after
war conditions there has been little taking
of thought in this country.
Great Britain has served as model for
us in most of our war preparations. There
would be profit in studying also the prepa-
rations being made there for the handling
Of industrial problems after the war. Mr.
J. A. Hobson presents in the current issue
of "The New Republic" an excellent COM
mentary on the report recently adopted by
the Reconstruction Committee of the Cabi-
net, recommending for each organized in
dustry a national council Of employers and
workers for "the regular consideration of
matters affecting the progress and we'll
being of the trade" He points out that all
classes appear to be anxious to apply the
principle of representative self-govern-
ment not only to the conduct Of the great
trades, but to their constituent businesses"
These representative bodies are to be much
more than the Cancellation boards now eX-
isting in many trades. Questions of hours,
wages, shop discipline and the like would
naturally come before them; but they
would also concern themselves with indus
trial research, technical training, the adop-
ton of improved machinery and trade
processes. Matters Of finance, buying and
selling and the line of production would
naturally be left to the management Of
the business. The article continues:
If carried into effect, the proposals will
mark an almost revolutionary advance in
the status of labor Not merely do they
the timd tentative and precarious ma
chinery of Cancellation, but they accord to
labor definite claim to an equal control
with capital over all matters affecting their
common interest 1t is true that it is not
at present proposed TO give any legal recog
milton 10 this machinery of economic
government, or any legal enforcement OF
its decisions. The state, in fact, is not 70
interfere, except so far as 10 offer advice
and supply information where requested
But custom and public opinion may be ex-
pected to furnish powerful sanctions for the
fulhlment of agreements entered into by
the representative bodies. If the national
industrial councils register judgments on
questions Of wages hours, etc, it may res-
sonably be expected that they will soon be-
come the effective legislature OF the in
dustry. For the silent pressure upon en-
poyers who may have stood outside the as
ISOLATION and upon workers who were not
members of their union will be powerful
and continuous.
Criticism, Mr.. Hobson points out, has
come chiefly from syndcalists or Guild So
cialists, who see in this scheme, if 1t sue