The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-01-04


JournaD
"Discharging employees is one OF
the most expensive luxuries that an
employer can indulge in.
"a mans job should be considered
sacred, and he should not be deprived
of it without due process of rea-
son.
"The labor turnover in many
American industries is an amazing
waste. 1t is but phase of the
great human problem in industry
which American employers have
blindly neglected. No ones mind
can work at maximum efficiency in
an atmosphere of insecurity; no one
can be at his best where his job is
uncertain"
These startling sentences did not
come from a college economist or
an agitator in trade-union con-
gress. They came from an execu-
tive head of one of New York's lead
ing industries in discussing the COM
mercial outlook for America after
the war The speaker was Arthur
Williams, active in Americas safe
ty-first movement and known every
where as a great electrical engineer
and more. He is an engineer of
big business projects as well, and it
might not be out of place to call
him a social engineer. Social cur
rents are as real to him as electric
currents and their laws must be
equally respected. In none of his
plans does eforge that he is deal
ing with human factors, and he has
gone deep into psychology to as
certain their exact values.
"If America is to retain her in
dustrial supremacy after the war;"
he said, "the human factor of the
labor problem must be met and
solved at once. This is not senti-
ment. 1t is business necessity. This
country has outstripped Europe for
many years in mere production of
commodities. We have led the world
in administrative and executive skill,
in the organization and financing of
material projects. In salesmanship,
also, Europe has little to teach US,
and in the problems of delivery and
transportation our methods have
easily been supreme. And yet, in
the sum total of efficiency, we have
found it difficult to compete with
many European countries, simply be-
cause we have neglected the human
side of the labor problem.
"If America is going to hold her
present supremacy" he repeated,
american employers must learn
that they can not afford to waste
human life. We can't afford to
have sick workers. We can't af-
ford to have dead workers. We
can't afford to have resentful, dis
contented, undernourished or under
paid workers, and we can't afford
to have unhappy workers.
"We must quit sentencing men to
death for the crime of carelessness.
Carelessness is criminal, to be sure,
hut capital punishment is too severe.
So are our other common penalties
If we could fine them or imprison
them for being careless it might not
be so bad, but cutting of their arms
and legs because they are careless
is inhuman."
The words were rather cryptic,
but no employe who is acquainted
with Mr.. Williams campaign for
safety First" will fail to grasp
his meaning. Mr.. Williams is presi-
dent of the American Museum of
Safety, sn organization which has
almost forced thousands of employ
ers to install safety devices in their
plants. 1t is not enough says Mr..
Williams, to have shop where
a workers life may be safe if it is
possible to have one where he can't
get hurt. If man is killed through
his own carelessness on a machine
which might have been protected so
that even a careless man could op-
crate it, isn't it, he asks, form of
capital punishment for carelessness
"A great many employers used to
argue" he said, "that danger would
make the workers careful Fortu-
nately we know our psychology bet
ter now. Constant danger either
produces state of panic in their
minds, or else they grow used to
it and take chances. Only where
there is maximum of safety will
there be maximum of efficiency.
"But if we are to solve the hu-
man side of the labor problem
and let me say again that we are
doomed to lose our position in the
worlds markets unless we dove
must think of much more than me