Askov American., 1919-05-08

made by labor to resist general wage
reductions.
."Eurning now from those agencies
and laws that have been put I'm opera
ton during the war to the general sub
ject OF labor legislation and problems,
we are glad to note that there Is no
longer any serious objection urged by
Impartial persons against the legal
minimum wage. The several States
should enact laws providing for the
establishment Of wage rates that will
be ut least sufficient for the decent
maintenance OF n family in the case of
all male adults and adequate to the de-
cent individual support Of female
workers. In the beginning the legal
minimum for male workers should suf-
flee only for the present needs Of the
family, but they should be gradually
raised until they are adequate to fu-
ture needs as well-that is, they should
be ultimately high enough to make pos
s.ble that amount of saving which is
necessary to protect the worker and
invalidity and old age.
Labor Participation In Management.
"The right of labor TO organize and
to deal with employers through repre-
sentatives has been asserted above In
connection with the discussion Of the
War Labor Board. 1t Is to he hoped
that this right win never again be
called In question by any considerable
number Of employers In addition to
this. labor ought gradually to receive
greater representation in what the
English group of Quaker employers
have called the Industrial part Of
business management-'the control of
processes and machinery; nature of
product: engagement and dismissal of
employees: hours of work, rates of
pay, bonuses, etc. welfare work shop
discipline; relations with trade un-
ions The establishment OF shop COM
mittees. working wherever possible
with the trade union, is the method
suggested by this group Of employers
for giving the employees the proper
share of industrial management.
There can be no doySt that a frank
adoption of these means and ends by
employers would not only promote the
welfare Of the workers, but vastly i'm
prove the relations between them and
their employers, and Increase the eff
cheney and productiveness OF each es-
tablishment.
There Is no need here to emphasize
the Importance of safety and santa
| tion in work places, as this Is pretty
| generally recognized by legislation.
| What is required is an extension and
strengthening Of many Of the existing
| statutes and Il better administration
and enforcement Of such laws every
| where.
Vocational Training.
"Fhe need Of industrial, or, as II has
come to be more generally called. vO-
citional. training is now universally
acknowledged. In the interest Of the
| nation as well as in that of the work
| ers themselves this training should be
made substantially universal While
we cannot now discuss the subject In
| any detail, we do wish to set down two
| general Observation-Disclosures. the voca-
! tional training should be offered In
| such forms and conditions as not to
deprive the children Of the working
| classes Of at least the elements Of a
cultural education. A healthy democ-
| racy cannot tolerate purely indus
| trial or trade education for any class
| of its citizens. We do not want to
have the children OF the wage -earners
| put into Il special class In which they
are marked as outside the sphere Of
| opportunities for culture The second
observation Is that the system Of voca-
tional training should not operate so
a to weaken In any degree our paro-
chial schools or any other class Of pri-
vate schools. Indeed, the opportunities
| OF the system should be extended to all
qualified private schools on exactly the
same basis as to public schools. We
want neither class divisions in educa.
ton nor State monopoly Of education.
Increased incomes for Labor.
| The great evil Of insufficient income
for the majority can be removed only
by providing the workers with more
income. This means not only univer-
sal living wages, but the opportunity
of obtaining something more than that
amount for AL who are willing to work
hard and faithfully. All the other
measures for labor betterment recon-
mended In the preceding pages would
likewise contribute directly or indi-
rectly to more just distribution OF
wealth In the interest Of the laborer."