The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-17
New Spirit Imperative.

4
out
New Spirit Imperative.
THE solution of the industrial prob
| lem can be brought about only by the
| introduction of a new spirit into the
relationship between the parties to in
| dustry-a spirit of justice and brother
| hood
| "A man who recently spent some
| months studying the industrial problem
| and who came into contact with thou
1 sands OF workmen came to the con-
clusion that not higher wages but rec
| ignition as men was what the workers
really sought. What Joy can there be in
! lifo, what interest can a man take In
| his work. what enthusiasm can he be
expected to develop on behalf of his
employer, when he is regarded as
| number on a payroll. a cog in a wheel.
a mere hand? Who would not earnestly
seek to gain recognition of his manhood
and the right to be heard and treated
| as human being and not as machine:
| while obviously those who invest
their capital in an industry cannot have
| personal acquaintance with the thou
| sands who invest their labor, contact be-
| tween these two parties in interest can
and must be established
| For this conference to undertake to
| agree on the details of plans and meth
DDS Is apt to lead to endless controversy
without constructive result. Can we not,
however. unite in the adoption of the
principle of representation and the
| agreement to make every effort to Sc
cure the Endorsement and acceptance of
this principle by all chambers of COM
metce industrial and commercial bodies
and all organizations of labor? The as
surance thus given of closer relation
ship between the parties to industry
would further justice, promote good will
and help to bridge the gulf between cap
ital and labor"
Frank Morrison, secretary of the
American Federation of Labor, present
head of the labor group, followed Mr..
Rockefeller with a carefully prepared
exposition of collective bargaining.
Morrison Explains Term.
collective bargaining" he said, sis
the negotiation of agreements between
employers or groups of employers and
employees or groups of employees
through representatives. chosen by the
respective parties themselves"
De described the practice In Great
Britain and other European countries
He attacked propositions submitted from
the employers group opposing the
"closed shop"
THAT the conspirators aiming at the
ruin of trade unonism should embody
their propositions in programmes placed
before this conference is evidence of a
blindness to the spirit to-day animatine
the masses of America" declared Mr.
! Morrison, the blindness of pride thai
goes before a fall, blindness to the de-
termination OF public opinion that tht
economic autocrat, the multi-millionaire
the contamination of Americansn
through foreign colonization in indus
trial centres, shall meet his just doom
| of extinction"
, Others supporting the committee re-
port in speeches before the conference
were John Spargo, II. E. Endicott, Pau
l.. Feiss, Gavin McNab, Charles Ed
! ward Russell and \. a. Landon or the
public group; J. y. Tttemore of the
employers group and w. d. Mahon
Matthew VOL, w. G. Lee and William
IL. Johnston of the labor group.
. Among the new propositions submitted
to the conference to-day in the form o.
resolutions was one by Paul l.. Feiss o
Cleveland, one of the public group, rec
ommendiug creation by Congress o
home loan banks for the aid Of homt
building by workers.
Miss Lillian D. Wald of New York
from the same group, submitted a rcso
. luton embodyng elimination of chilC
labor as a factor in American industry
ana Miss Ida Tarbell submitted one pre-
scrlbing hours of labor and working
. conditions for women.