The Washington herald., 1918-09-30
MANY FOLLOW
C.F.&I. RULE
Big Industries Adopt Rocke.
feller Labor Representa-
ton Arbitration.

Nhich John ID. Rockefeller, 1r., oeliv-
I cred in the early summer Of this year
before the Civic and Commercial Club
at Denver he spoke .unons other
things Of the development Of the new
relation between the owners Of indus
try represented by its officers ana IA.
employees who represented certain Of
their fellow ~orkmen who were
chosen as representatives by secret
ballot cast by the employees. This IA
the principle Of representa- tion which
! includes also adequate methods for
the uncovering and speedy adjust
ment Of grievances, which was sdopt-
ed three years ago by the Colorado
Fuel and Iron Company. Mr.. Rocle-
feller said that since this company
adopted this policy OF representation
II has been accepted and put into
operation by the Standard on Com
psny Of New Jersey in all it's plant,
in various States and that IL has also
been accepted by the Consolidation
Coal Company under the Leadership
Of the president, Mr.. Wheelright. this
company being one of the leadinF
producers Of anthracite coal, carrying
on operations in several States. Other
coal companies in the anthracite
Fields have also adopted this policy.
The National War Labor Board and
the Fuel Administration urge the
adoption Of the principle by all in
I dustries
Mr.. Rockefeller, as the LEADING
executive Of the Colorado Fuel and
Iron Company. was not the first 70
I advocate and put into effect this
! principle which has. in three years,
eliminated. apparently. all the sources
OF difficulty and friction with which
the Industry was formerly greatly
embarrassed George W. Perkins
more than ten years ago advocated a
policy Of this kind, although in form
and method a little different from
the plan adopted by Mr RockefelIer's
company. Mr.. Perkins WORKED out
after long and patient study what
has proved to be a scientific basis
whereby employees can receive IN sd-
dition TO their wages a reasonable
and fair proportion Of the earnings
OF the company. The method has
made over 5000 Of the employees OF
the United States Steel Corporation
stockholders in that corporation and
their holdings OF stock enable them
10 secure certain representation in
the corporation and cause every en-
ploye stockholder to feel that he ia
not only an employe earning wages
but also in part an owner Of the
corporation.
U. s. Steel Advances.
Now the United States Steel Cor
porauon. apparently in full recognI-
uon OF the rights Of the employees and
also with intent TO perfect industrial
peace. has gone so far as TO G6opt
The eight-hour day as the time stand
ard Of work for which the employees
will receive the wages which here
tofone they have received for ten
hours a day work This is REGARDED
as equivalent to an increase Of = per
cent in the wages OF the workingDen
Furthermore IL the employees work
overtime, and most Of them have
been compelled under the stress Of
the demands which the government
has made for steel products to work
overtime, they are TO receive what Is
technically called time and one-hslf-'
pay for their overtime work and II
the eIigencies of the situation make
il essential that they also labor on
Sundays and holidays they will re-
oeive double ny for that service.
The corporation now has nearly
10000 employees on its payrolls and
this action means a very large in
crease in the amount OF money which
the corporation will pay to its skilled
artisans and others; but il means
more than that II undoubtedly
makes IL certain that there will be
in this vast organization hereafter
very little danger OF friction. II other
corporations follow the example now
set by the United States Steel Cor
porauon Of its own accord a long
step will have been taken towards
that goal which all the manufacturers
OF steel and iron products are hoping
to reach, namely. that which will
identify the complete solving OF the
( increasingly difficult labor problems.
others Follow Lead.
CoincidentaIly with the announce
ment Of the action taken by the Steel
Corporation the Midvale Steel Com
pany and the Cambria Steel Companv
who have in their employ about 50 coo
1 skilled artisans are about to follow
the example set by Mr.. Rockefeller
when he caused to be established the
1 principle of representation in the Col
! orado Fuel and Iron Company. There
are intimato that other steel com
/ panies will follow this example. Pre-
sumably the Nidvale Company will
I follow, as far as IL is possible to do
so. the plan Of representation adopted
| by the Colorado Fuel and Iron Com
! pany and the Standard Oil Company
Of New Jersey. The purpose Is TO
perfect a plan Of represents tion
I W-hnrGhv~ hRra1 Ffar -
between the company and its en-
ployes will be satisfactorily establish
ed. The company states that Il horey
10 ADOPT plan OF representation Of
the employees which shall be thor
oughly democratic and entirely free
from interference by the company ~
any official or agent OF the company.
When Walter Clark Teagle beFan
shortly after his election a year aeo
as president OF the Standard on
Company Of New Jersey TO work out
plan whereby there may be full
ana satisfactory representation Of the
employees so that the representa- tives
OF and the officers Of the compsnv
meet around a table and DISCUSS free
ly propositions which are deemed i'm
portant, he wGs anxious 70 perfect
such plan OF representa- tion as
would make IL completely democratic
Mr.. Teagie did perfect a plan OF this
kind and il has already met with un-
qualified success. Very likely in a
short time all OF the great industries
Of the United States will adopt a sim
liar plan or at least some plan the
basic principle Of which is the unin-
fluenced choice by the employees Of
representatives who in that capacity
will meet officers OF the corpora tions
so that discussion and satisfactory
agreement can be reached