Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-12-04
REORGANIZATION oFINDUsTRY

one of the strong points of the
presidents message was in advocacy
of democratization of industry. Be
fore the war we heard many advo-
Gates Of the characterization of the
army. The Russians democratized
their army. and later they democra-
tized their industries. Lenine. long
ago, adopted iron discipline in his
armies. ANY suggestion now of a reg
iment taking a vote as to who shall
command it, or as to when it shall
attack, is unthought of. He has also
learned that he cannot have democ-
Tatized industry and produce even his
war materials
The great aim of radical labor lead
ers today is characterization of indus
try. That is what the Plumb plan
means. But can there be such democ-
ratizaton?
democratized might be seized by a.
new set of masters and exploited for
their benefit. Some such state of
things is forecast in England.
There would not be required a con-
scious purpose TO this end on the part
of the leaders of the labor unions,
They might see themselves sincerely
as the mere servants of their organi-
cations, Selling the industries and OPP
Grating them on behalf of their con-
stituents. Let us assume that the
labor chiefs would have the ability to
operate successfully the industries.
Those chiefs. as managers in behalf
of the unions, would develop immedi-
ately the elf-consciousness of mana
gers. They would realize, even if they
had never done so before, the scope
and necessity of the managerial func-
ton, They would discover that event
if they succeeded in abolshing capt.
tai, they never could hope to abolish
management. And as managers they
would also conceive and take as their
reward capitals share of the profits |
And'th deeper they got into the
business the more and more theyI
would become differentiated as mana |
gers. The more would they perceive
the extent of the skill required to
keep the plants going, to pay workers, |
to market products to maintain a !
margin of profits instead of operating |
at a loss. In fact, they would find
themselves speedily enough subject to |
the old unrelenting economic laws |
that govern management today.
We have been assuming tina. labor
leaders would develop managerial
ability, when called upon Some oil
them would; but. as matter of fact. |
most of them wouldn't. Bossing
union requires a high order of ability,
hut not business ability in the eco
monte sense. The leaders, finding
that they themselves lacked. would
be forced, in order to save the indus
tries, to hire real managers if such |
could be found. Lenine in Russia,
against his inclinations and philoso-
ply, has been forced to do Just that
thing. Having seized the industries,
he has been forced to turn around and
hire the managers at huge salaries
There is reason for large salaries !
to managers. it is evident. without
competent managers the wage fund
diminishes even to, the vanishing
point Capital may have no real
rights That is a ottestinn nve,. which |
economists, socio1ogists and moralists I
have been fighting for many years,
but the ability that accumulates, mo-
bilizes and directs capital is necessary
for the progress of the race. On that
point there can be no successful con-
troversy.