New-York tribune., 1918-12-07
Industrial Rule
Here MOnarchicaI.
Says Employer
Il. J. Caldwell, at Confer
ence OH Reconstruction.
Declares Labor Should Be
Co-custodian of Property

The war has brought capital and
labor closer together, in the opinion of
speakers from both sides of the indus
trial fence who talked at the labor
reconstruction conference of the Acad-
emy of Political Sciene at Columbia
University last night. Pleas for wider
representation of labor in industry
alternated with descriptions of steps
already taken toward the democratiza-
tion of industry by the recognition of
labor's deeper human rights in wage
disputes.
r. J. Caldwell, president of the Con-
necticut Mills Company, took an
unequivocal stand for larger rights for
labor.
"Whereas we pride ourselves on our
democracy of government" said Mr..
Caldwell, Eve must admit that we live
under rather pronounced monarchy
Of industry. In commerce we practise
an oligarchy ust as much as Russia
practised it hitherto politically. We
must establish a democracy of indus
try as well as democracy of govern
ment. In short industrially as we'll as
politically we must operate by the con-
sent Of the governed"
To accomplish this Mr.. Caldwell pro
posed that the employer should be-
come a co-custodian of property with
the employed" through stock owner
ship.
ON addition to the standard wage
which an employe receives. why should
he not also get a common stock inter
est to represent his future hopes for
the prosperity of the company, to which
the character of his work constitutes O.
material contribution ?" he asked.
For Unemployment Insurance
"An cmploye, upon leaving his en-
ploymcnt, either voluntarily or invol-
UNFAIRLY, should receive just compen-
sation for the stock held in his name"
AS another step toward the harmo-
nizator of labor and capital Mr.. Cald-
we'll favored compulsory insurance
against unemployment.
times of plenty provide an insurance
fund against time of famine. This
would work no injustice on any en-
ployer, for by enactment of Federal
law it would affect all alike. 1t would
be the greatest single solution to the
question of poverty that could be de-
vised'
W. S. Carter, Director Of the Divis-
ION of Labor of the Railroad Admins
tration, discussing "the effect OF
Federal Control On Railway Labor" "
smoke warm y of the work done py
Secretary McAGoo to eliminate the
st,.;l[e as q means of settling wage diff
ficu'ties.
"The Governments" said Mr.. Carter,
.+ook over the railroads with major
Nv of employees mentally depressed and
educated by experience to believe IN
the theiry of the strike, and it has
taken time and patience to convince
hem thatunder Federal control justice
will prevail, without strike or threats
Of strike"
This change of attitude on the part
of the workers. the speaker sald' mas
been due in no small measure to the
organization by Mr.. McAdoo OF Kali
way Boards of Adjustment, composed
of an equal representation selected by
the labor unions and the regional di
rectors of the United States Railroad
Administration.
Believed 1t Would Fail
ut was with the belief " declared Mr.
Carter, "that deadlocks were inevitable
that some railroad men of longexper-
ience has not produced a single failure
Of these boards of adjustable to reach
decisions acceptable to both sides. The
determination of the members of these
boards to be fair has made deadlocks
avoidable.
"Back of that. the chief executives
of the EMPLOYEES organizations are de-
cess. for they have said in effect to
their respective representatives. whom
they have selected for these adjust
ment boards: You are no longer an
aax.aaa4a n Xo,1 ora xae,.. q i,adna ) .