The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-12-28

for the most part maintained during
our eighteen months participation in
the struggle. Does this not suggest
! that X the workers of many indus
trial nations come to have a common
/ interest In the maintenance OF inter
national protective labor standards,
their interests will form an additional
bulwark opposed to the plunHinE OF
the world into war? We can't stand
still We can't go back. We should,
and must, go forward"
Remosfng Labor Discomfort.
Securing the initiative of workmen.
with share in the management OF in
dustry, and decreasing the cost OF
labor turnover to employers while
affordfng economic security to the
workers by legal dismissal wage,
We're measures of labor reconstruction
advanced by Robert f. Wolf, of the
Emergency Fleet corpora ton, and
of Wisconsin. at the session OF the
American Association for Labor Leeis-
iation held jointly with the American
Economic association yesterday after
noon at the Jefferson hotel The
meeting. at which Professor Irving
Fisher of Yale. presided, and devoted
to the psychology of labor unrest.
rThe present labor unrest" de-
chred Mr.. Wolf. "is natural result
Of diverting the creative instincts of
the workman from constructive into
destructive channels The present form
of most Of our industrial organiza-
tons is responsible for this state OF
affairs. The remedy lies in making
our industrial organizations demo-
cratic SO that the workman will have
n voice in the determination of work
ing conditions"
"Insecurity-The Workers Tragedy
The tragedy in the situation of the
wage Garner In the modern industrial
organization, according to Professor
Ross. has been his Insecurity. 1.-The
practice OF American indu strial EN-
rloyers." he said "is really amazing
in its lack of consideration for the
worker who is found to be super
fous. The average employer seems to
give himself not the slightest concern
as to what is to become of the worker
let out through no fault of his own.
Here are real tragedies, hundreds, nay
thousands, of them a year in our
larger centers Imagine law which
would entitle the dismissed employe
after certain brief trial term. OF say
a month, TO a days dismissal wage
for every twenty days in service. Up
to a certain point, the longer he made
good in his place the more secure he
would feel for the more it would cost
his employer to turn him off without
fault on his part
How would the legal dismissal
wage affect employers? ON all hands
II is agreed" he declared, that the
amount of labor turnover in Aneri-
can industries is scanda lous. know
OF an industry employing $4,000 men
which not long ago hired and fred at
least that many men a wear. Few en-
| ployers have any conception of what
they lose by such turnover The
| obligation 10 a dismissal
would give such employers a motive
| to make their practice conform to
that of those thoughtful humane en- :
ployers who have brought their annual
| turnover in some cases down to 81 per
cent, with profit to themselves and
ccntentmeut to their employees. They
would find IT paid to give attention to
human engineering"
Crippled Workers "Come Back
| Crippled Industrial workers can and
do come back" as productive self
supporting members Of society often
into skilled trades, The Smith Bank
head bill now pending in congress. and
! companion laws by the states, should
be enacted promptly TO provide voca-
tional reha utilization for manned vic
tins OF industrial accidents
/ Compensation laws should be amend
ed to insure fun benefits for crippled
workers. while relieving employers
from excessive liability that may arise
out of a second injury TO partially dis
ahled workers. These conclusions were
set forth IN series of brief reports
submitted by federal and state Off
cials at the round-tahle discussion on
workmen's compensation for cripples
which opened the twelfth annua
meeting Of the American Associa
ton for Labor Legislation yesterday
morning at the Jefferson hotel with
lC. n Robertson. minister OF labor OF
Canada presiH{ng