The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1919-05-23

tanning populations and winning sue
cess amidst commercial and indus
trial rivalries. mean that much
greater and more vital question, how
are the men and women who do the
daily labor of the world to obtain
progressive improvement in the con-
ditions of their labor, to be made
happier, and to be served better by
the communities and the industries
which their labor sustains and ad-
vances? How are they ODE given
their right advantage as citizens and
human beings?
Capital and Labor Must Cooperate
We canot go further in our pres
ent direction. We have already gone
too far. We cannot live our right
life as a nation, or achieve our pro-
per success as an industrial communi-
ty if capital and labor are to continue
to be antagonistic, instead of being
partners. If they are to continue to
distrust one another and contrive how
they can get the better of one anoth-
er. Or, what, perhaps, amounts to the
same thing, calculate by what form
and degree OF coercion they can
manage to extort on the one hand
work enought to make enterprise pro-
fitable; on the other, justice and fair
treatment enough to make life tole-
rable. That bad road has turned out
blind alley 1t is no throughfare
to real prosperity. We must find an
other, leading in another direction
and to very different destination.
1t must lead not merely to accommo-
dation, but also to a genuine co-ope-
ration and partnership, based upon a
real community of interest and parti-
cipation in control.
There is now, in fact, a real COM
munity of interest between capital
and labor, but it has never been made
evident in action. 1t can be made
operative and manifest only in new
organization of industry. The genius
of our business men and the sound
practical sense of our workers can
certainly work such partnership out
when once they realize exactly what
it is that they seek, and sincerely
adopt a common purpose with regard
to it.
Labor legislation lies, of course,
chiefly with the state; but the new
spirit and method of organization
which must be effected are not to be
brought about by legislation so much
as by common counsel and voluntary
cooperation of capitalist, manager
and workman. Legislation can go on
ly very little way in commanding
what shall be done. The organization
of industry is matter of corporate
and individual initiative and of prac-
teal business arrangement. Those
who really desire new relationship |
between capital and labor can readily |
find way to bring it about; and per-
haps federal legislation can help more
than state legislation could.
To Democratize Industry.
The object of all reform in this |
essential matter must be the general
democratization, of industry, based |
upon full recognition of those who |
work, in whatever rank, to participate
in some organic way in every decis-
ion which directly affects their wei
fare or the part they are to play in
industry. Some positive legislation |
is practicable. The congress has al |
ready shown the way to one reform
which should be worldwide by estab- |
lihsnig the eight hour day as the stan
dard day in every field of labor over
which it can exercise control. 1t has
sought to find the way to prevent |
child labor, and will, l hope and be-
Iieve, presently find it. 1t has served
the whole country nv leading the way