The Washington herald., 1918-03-02
LABOR COMING
WITH CAPITAL
Holland Says Big Business
Leaders See Closer Co
operation After War.

LCddCLS DCS OtOoCt W
operation After War.
"A Ralph Montgomery Easley. who has
been for nearly twenty years chair
man Of the executive council Of the
National Civic Federation. and who
has gained high reputation as an auth
orityL upon labor and economic ques.
IONS takes serious and Immediats
issue with Col. william B. Thomp-
son and Charles N. schwab to the
effect that the day Is near at hand
when the working men will rule the
world.
Mr.. Easley Is apprehensive lest these
two men. who have gained distinction
as Industrial leaders,. should have OF
late adopted the Socialistic views re-
spectIng the relation of labor to capi-
tai. which have been attributed to the
Bolsheyiki and also are ready to sup
{ port the principles advocated by the
Industrial Workers Of the World.
Not yet has any authoritative report
been made Of Mr.. Schwab's remarks
although II Is undoubtedly true that
he did say that in his view the work
ingmen are to participate more and
more IN governmental Affairs and are
gradually but surely to gain influential
relation to our great industries and
those OF Europe. Col Thompson GER
tainly did not advocate the alleged
views OF the Russian Socialists and
: Boisheviki with respect to the aboli-
ton Of capital and the adoption In Its
place of absolute Socialism.
Praises BoI.heyikL
He went no farther than to assert
that the principle upon which true
I8olshevikism Is based represents more
equitable relations between the great
body Of workingmen and peasants OF
Russia, and what Is called the auto
cratic, or aristocratic class. He does
believe that the workingmen Of the
world are TO have larger and larger
part In governmental affairs and In
the direction Of industry, but prob
ably not as q distinctive party.
Twenty years before Col Thompson
and Mr.. schwab spoke Of the rela.
ton III the near future OF men who
work with their hands to industry and
profound political economist and as
successful 4 leader In industry upon
large lines as ever lived In these
modern times predicted the speedy
coming OF the day when. the wage
earners, certainly In American indus
tries. would have so altered their re-
lation to their employers that they
would become in a considerable meas
,ure their own employers since they
would be in possession, through in
vestment Of their earnings, In large
blocks of the stocks Of Industrial COM
panies.
Hewitt's Prediction.
Abram 8. Hewitt, at one time mayor
OF New York, and for many years a
member of Congress. chairman Of the
national committee which carried on
the Presidential campaign for the cleo
ton OF Samuel J. Tilden. and In addi-
ton 4 leader In very great iron i'm
dustral activities a. wen as a master
OF ecqnomic and Industrial . atisticA
spoke Informally in 1901 OF the inevi-
' table coming OF the day. in his opin-
ion. when men who work for wages
would share responsibility and oppor-
tunity with men who as managers oi
Auaa1lg SulplOg co InefQ. "A =
Mr.. Hewitt was convinced that
gradually but surely wage earners
would md II expedient and even to
their best interests to invest their saw
ings IN the stocks Of the industrial
companies by which they were en-
ployed- They would do this to such
an extent that at last 1t would be
found that the majority Of the stock
holders In these industries were wage
earners and the aggregate Of their
seedlings would be very large.
Z Bring co-Operation.
This would. entail a spirit Of CO.
operation, extending from the execu-
tive managers Of the industries down
through the great body Of the wage
earnera- It would also inevitably in.
huenee wage earners in political cam
paigns to support candidates for office
who were known to be good citizens,
not antagonistic to labor nor on the
other hand demagogic baiters OF capI.
? tai Mr.. Hewitt furthermore said that
the pre-eminent forces which would
b influence American growth Of prosper
ity were frst the utilization of CAPT.
tai; second. the employment of ability,
especially In industrial leadership, and
third the growth Of q great body OF
skilled artisans, men Of intelligence,
cof patriotism, not cankered by jeal-
ousy or by envy Of those whose Dos
sessions were large. but infused with
the spirit Of cooperation whereby
their own yearly gains would be in
creased and their personal influence
as citisens felt.
What Mr.. Hewitt said nearly twenty
years ago has in part already been
Jusdned BY events. The United States
Steel Corporation has some $1,000
stockholders who are also skilled
artisans and wage earners. The Inter
national Harvester Company numbers
many wage earners among its stock
holders The principle which underlies
.co-operation Of this kind was first sue
eessfully worked out BY George w
Perkins when he drafted the measure
now known as The Profit SHARING
System Of the United States Steel
Cooperation
PrOnt Sharing Plan.
It e not profit sharing in the old
meaning Of that term. 1t Is eo-opera-
ton. II is policy which enable the
skilled artisan to subscribe from year
to year some part OF his savings IA
rths stock Of the steel corporst,on
That t. not profit sharing in Mr.. Per-
s>kin's view, but it Is a return In addf-
ton TO their wages to the skilled
artisans Of some part of the earnings
Of the corporation which were made
possibae by reason Of their eficiencS
and their cooperation.
Something Of this kind Mr.. schwah
and Col Thompson undoubtedly had
in mind when speaking of new reIa.
tions soon to be established between
the men who work for wages and