Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-20
INDUSTRIAL METHODS
REAL WAR PROBLEM
Lincoln Colcord Says Labor
and Capital Must Have
Mutual Interests
RAPS SHIPPING BOARD
Tells City Club Capital and Banking
Systems Must Be Used for
Public's Benefit

A warning to look facts in the face
In the present struggle was sounded by
Lincoln t'olcord, Washington corre-
spondent of the PUnhC LEDGER, this
afternoon in the course of an address
before a group of business men at the
Civic Club He declared the war was
a job of proper induotrial production,
and urged that greater energies be con-
centrsted for this purpose.
Mr.. Colcord spoke with the utmost
candor. without any attempt at oratory,
and made no attempt to sugar-coat con-
ditions as he saw them. He reminded his
hearers that he had been frequently
criticized for his views, but Contended
that the liberal was the best fighter and
that the man who Is most generous in
foreign policies Is best prepared for war
The speakers remarks briefly tended
to show that there was TOO great a
breach between capital and labor and
that until this was closed or modified
real efficiency could not come.
Mr.. Colcord, incidentally, took a fling
at the shipping board and it's methods
He said that the board did not examine
the housing situation uutil well into the
winter and did not realize that letting
contracts in wholesale manner was
not sufficient. He touched on conditions
at Hog Island and said housing and
transportation facilities should have
been provided before laying out the ship.
yard.
In this connection he said why is
Il that our Government officials have
followed the method of putting the cart
before the horse almost in every par
ticular? We have let contracts for three
times as much goods as we could pos
sibly ship congesting railroads and
warehouses. American business methods
have conceived production in terms of
material only. They have not human
ized the industrial system"
He asserted that American business
methods were founded on exploitation
Of natural resources and not on pro-
duction. Speaking of American banking
systems during the present crisis. he said
the banks did not appear to be con-
Quoted for the benefit of the community,
hut for the benefit of the stockholders
Of the bank.
TITS governing function he added,
mot run by the people for the people,
hut by the directors for the stock
holders"
This brought round of applause.
The whole industry of the country"
he said. lis passing into control of the
Government. We never viii go back
10 the old order. Hereafter industry
is going to be organized on the basis
Of production and not on the basis Of
profits"
Applause greeted his prediction that
I'VE will never get efficient labor until
labor has an interest in business" This
he said. would have to be brought about
by gradual process
Capital" he contended, must be used
for public service and not for private
proht, and the real problem is to bring
capital and labor together"
In concluding his remarks, Mr.. Colcord
declared, when tho showdown comes
when we see we have got together on a
new business basis, the capitalists. who
have been pulling us from democracy
will show themselves to be the finest
democrats of all