Norwich bulletin., 1919-09-08
BREACHES ON INDUSTRIAL DEMOCRACY

much the same plan was put into that plant The men can appeal directly to
 him if they can't settle. The labor bu- reau of our country are to judge if 1 they fail to settle.
 | A little book has come on the mar ket telling the story of a number of plants in which industrial democracy has been tried and the results. It is called Man to Man, by John Leitch. It 1 is the story of the introduction of in dustrial democracy in a number of plants.
 The Packard Piano company has had strike. The company had won, and the men returned to work. but sullen and discontented. But it was soon discovered that the quality of
 work done was poorer and the output smaller. So they decided to try the
 new plan. Fifty per cent. of the prof its of the company went to the em- ployes and 50 per cent. to the employ CTS. The men had charge of the plant hired and fired their bosses. They were now partners in the business and they wanted to make it go. The men saw that quality must count, and while the production was increas sed largely, their sales also expanded be- cause of the fine quality of the piano MT. Bond. president of the company said: We used to build pianos. Then we stopped building pianos, and began the building of the pianos. Our slogan
 is If there is no harmony in the fac
 tory there will be none in the piano."
 Hart Schaffner & Marx have an
 Clothing Workers of America. It is preferential shop. Non union workers are not employed when union workers are available. Disputes and com
 plaints come before a board for set
 clement, and on this board are ten employees and one of the officers of the company. When this board fails. then the board of arbitrators settles it
 o11n Q chairman chosen by the two.
 The Filene store in Boston Is an other example. The employees here have four of the eleven directors of the company. The Fi1ene Cooperativ Association includes every ennplOye of the company. Two thirds vote of this association can change any rule or make d new one regarding discipline or working conditions MT. Filene says We want our employees to run our business
 The settlement of disputes is in the hands of the employees. They have control over discharges and this gives them q sense of security.
 Mir. Filene says They have never used their power unfairly or attempt ed to take any advantage of their po- sition. We have never had anything approac ching 9 holdup."
 Secretary Baker has just made pub lie the fact that the production actiVi- ties of the Rock Island Arsenal shops. including appointment of foremen and fixing of wages has been turned over to committees of the employees. Off, ciaI reports say that the result has been greatly increased efficiency and contentment among the men, but greatly reduced cost of production Mail locks formerly S45 per thousand now costing $Ss. Azimuth optics for merly costing s55. reduced to $20.
 A large employer of men told me a few weeks ago that conditions would never become better until the princi- pies of Christ were practiced. It is true. but glittering generalities are of no value. Employers and employees are brothers, according to the teaching of Christ and industrial democracy is essentially Christian.
 SeIfshness and greed are destruc- tive to humanity. We want to make society Christian. because it is the only fit society worth living in. Ma ton wars industrial wars, race wars shall not cease until we give Jesus Christ his own way in the hearts and lives of men.
 How much are you responsible for i all the worlds sorrow and sin? Just ! as far as you refuse Christ mastery ! over your life.
 Let us enlist in the mightiest army i the world ever Saw-that of the king 1 dom of God. the Rule of Christ which | is the bIessedness and happiness of 1 men.