Semi-weekly herald., 1917-01-27
ADDRESS BY JOHN d.
ROCKEFELLER AT COR
NELL UNIVERSITY

important industrial corporations
have been selected largely because
of their capacity as organizers or
Ifinanciers. The time is rapidly COM
ling when the important qualification
for such positions will be mans
ability to deal successfully and amic-
ably with labor.
| Yet how to do this is n subject
which, | fancy, is never taught or
referred to in the classroom. Like
knowledge Of the problems of sex,
than which no department of life is
more sacred, vital or deserving of full
and and ennobling instruction, an
understanding of this subject is left
to be acquired by experience, often
costly or bitter, or thru chance in
formation, CLEANED too frequently
from ignorant and unreliable sourc
es. Just as the first of these two
themes is coming to be taught sym
pathetically and helpfully in our
schools and colleges, SO l believe the
second, the personal relation 10 indus
try will eventually be regarded as
an important part of those college
courses which aim to fit men for tho
business life.
For, after all, is it not the persona
relations with ones fellows which
when rightly entered into, bring JOY
into our lives and lead to success,
and which, on the other hand, if dis
regarded or wrongly interpreted
bring equally sorrow and discourage
ers Colorado. India is on the other
ment and lead to failure?
Labor and capital are naturally
partners in industry, entered into in
the right spirit, gives greatest
promise of bringing the yawninp
ehasm which has opened up between
employer and employe.
Too often capital regards labor
merely as a commodity to be bought
and Sold while labor not infrequent-
ly regards capital as money per
sonified in the soulless corporation
But labor and capital are men--men
with muscle and men with money
Both are human beings and the in
dustrial problem is a great human
problem.
The popular impression that from
the very nature of tire case labo
and capital are two great contend
ing forces arrayed against each 9th
er, each striving to gain the upper
hand thru force, each feeling that
it must arm itself in order to Sc
cure from the other its rights and
its just dues, is even more unfor-
turnate than it is untrue.
| cannot believe that labor ano
capital are necessarily enemies. !
cannot believe that the success o.
one must depend upon the failure
or lack of success of the other. Fal
from being enemies, these two forces
must necessarily be partners. Sure
Fly, their interests are common in
terests; the permanent welbeing OF
neither can be secured unless the
other also is considered, nor can eth.
er attain the fullest possibilities OF
| development which lie before both
unless they go hand in hand.
| Only when the industrial problem
is approached from the point of view
of firm belief in this doctrine
there any hope of bringing about
closer, more healthful and mutua
advantageous relations between thes
two forces.
If labor and capital are partners,
then certain things must follow.
They must have contact. This stand
ing aloof one from the other must
end. Partners know each other, they
rub elbows, sit around the same table
come to understand each others point
of view.
Respect grown in the heart of each
for the other, confidence is develop
ed, and they come to realize that
they are working with common in
terest for common result. But this
attitude, this relationship, is the per
sonal relation in industry. Nothing
else will take its place, nothing else
will bridge the chasm of distrust and
hatred.
As the officers OF our great cor
porations come to see more and more