Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-26

Of employers until they are forced to do jus
tice. Too many employers seek to justify
failure to raise' wages by pointing to their
welfare work for their employees. This is
workers with the idea that they are being
looked after az wards and not treated as
men capable OF exercising independent dis.
erection as to their welfare. They are apt to
give the employees the idea that 1t is gen.
erous concession they are making out OF the
goodness Of their hearts and that they are
not merely yielding q right for Qutd pro quo
for what they receive.
The most difficult persons to deal with
are the extremists on both sides. On the
side Of labor there seems to be such sus-
picion. one leader Of another, that few are
willing to make Just concession--not
because they don't recognize its justice but
because II they admit 1t they are charged
with betraying the cause of labor Thus
they furnish to their rivals in leadership
among workingmen the opportunity TO un-
dermine Their standing with their fellows.
This often puts the labor side In an inde.
fensible position and offers to It's enemies
basis for criticism that might easily be
avoided. On the other hand, there Is among
employers the Bourbon. the man who never
learns anything and never forgets anything
the man who says: 1T IL my legal right to
manage my business as choose. TO pay such
wages as / choose. to agree to such terms
Of employment as I choose, to exclude from
my employment union, men, because I don't
approve of the tenets sof the union, and to
maintain a family arrangement of my own.
do fairly by my men; pay them what
think is right. and they will not complain
unless some outside union agent 'nterferes.
run a closed nonunion shop and am
happy and propose to continue happy" This
man is far behind IN the progress of our
social civilization. He lacks breadth of
vision extending beyond the confines Of his
shop. He looks to fear Of courts and injunc-
tions and police and militia as the ordinary
and usual instruments for continuing his
business peacefully and maintaining his
rights. He 10 like the man who regards the
threat OF a divorce court as q proper and
usual means of continuing domestic happi.
ness. He does not recognize that we have
| advanced beyond the state In which EN-
ployers and employees are mere laws unto
themselves. He does not see that the whole
public Is interested In Industrial peace He
does not see that the employer has certain
duties social In their nature that are not
defined and are not enforcible IN law, but
exist just as family duties of care and af-
fection exist. He has not followed The
| growth of things.
AS long as the system that he insists
| upon continued Individual laborers were
| at the mercy OF their employers. What.
| ever they got was concession. They could
not maintain themselves In a contest with
| their employer. dependent as they were on
| their daily wage and Independent as he was
| with accumulated capital. That very un-
| just situation led to the organization of
! labor that the employe by massing contrl-
! buttons may maintain himself during an In.
| dustral struggle without wages. This has
come to collective bargaining. which 10 bar.
gaining by the group system. A group of
laborers, knowing their rights and knowing
how to maintain them. put themselves on a
level with their employers. ana the result
| reached is far nearer Just one than any
before attained. That It may often be un.
just goes without SAYING, but so are all
| human attempts to reach the right line. OF
course those individual laborere who do
not see the advantage to them OF the group
| system have right to stay out and must
| be protected In doing SO. But whether we
will or not, the group system ID here to
stay. and every statesman and every man
| interested In public affairs must recognize
that It has to be dealt with as a condition,
to be favored in such q way as 10 rnlnlmiss
| It's abuses and to increase its utility
The workingmen OF the country. since tine
| war began and the Importance Of their grour
action has been emphasized. by the require
| ments Of the war have been given a senss
| OF power In their united action which VIZ
must recognise and deal with. or course
they may abuse this power. and II 80. the,
may find that they are not the entire com
| munity. But II under level-headed leader
ship they do not push II to an excess. the,
will be able to DO much for their members
and indeed for the community at large Tn,
junkers and the hinkers on both sides mus
stand aside and will be set aside II common
sense prevails The danger from Bolshevisn
ID far greater than from reaction to IN,
Bourbon type Of employment The intelli
gent. conservative leaders Of the labor move
| msnt should be encouraged. Their didioui
ties In dealing with their extreme oonstitu
ents should Be recognised =. q 4
national hoard. consissins 81 8 numbs
Of snch int>llI1>nt. qonsefte&ivt l6edere 3