The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-21


|, the helpful spirit and earnest purpoec
fair spirit OF equity. I have been
deeply impressed with the sense Of
justice that lay beneath the earnest
purposes Of labor leaders and / am
convinced that II and when industry
recognizes, as l think It IL beginning
better to recognize. the common fel-
lowship that exists between them, We
shall cease to worry ~ to whether
labor unions are responsible before
the. law, whether they may sue or
be sued, whether damages can be col
lected against them. and about other
similar questions. In any true family
the legal status of husband and wife
OF parent and child, Is hardly mat
ter Of fruitful discussion.
/ recall an Irish contractor In the
building trade at home whom I knew
we'll for many years. One time sAid
to him Barney, how long Is II since
you had trouble with your men 2" H"
replied Not since have been IN
I said, Barney, there have been
many strikes in the buildings trades
in New York in that time. How do
you get along with your men WITHOUT
them? ?" WELL he said. II try never
to forget that ! am just one OF them
myself" Barney was strong. cap
able man. suppose he could be
called by some a capitalist, That may
have been true: but there was no
separation in his mind between him
self and his men on that account.
All Make Mistakes.
Let us admit that all men are
faulty and that mistakes are made by
labor. as mistakes have been made by
capital Nevertheless, in this world
each needs the other, and we must
get along together somehow. To get
along" does not mean passive endur-
ance by each Of the other: but pro-
gress together. 1t means going;
that implies motion-progress to-
gether.
We have Just fought a great war
For what purpose? Not to make us
rich or powerful or to extend our
territories. Not for the purpose OF
charging our trade, but simply be-
cause there was hideous selfishness in
the world that took such form and did
such things that it became our duty
10 do what we could to destroy II.
Those who were in the army on the
other side say that there was in our
boys a wonderful spirit. 1t was not
formulated They did not call 1t pa
triotism. or religion. But 1t certainly
was the spirit of sacrifce--of tough
job done at great risk that the world
might be safe for our wives. mothers,
sisters. and daughters, and that things
generally might be cleaned un. Many
of our boys from the mills. from the
factories, and from all industries were
over there. all with the same purpose.
Their former bosses were many OF
them on the job. there and here, for
getting their earnings. ignoring their
mills, putting their surplus into gov
eminent bonds. working without
salary in the same cause. Thus. one
common spirit was over all. Side
by side In our drafted regiments were
men OF all sorts and conditions. The
son of a cultured family in my old
home led group of st-side boys
who spoke many tongues. Yet there
was common spirit. I Think be
lave 7 am not mistaken think I
have seen and heard 1t in the hearts
and on the lips OF men and in their
deeds since ] believe that something
of that common spirit has shed itsalf
abroad. is shedding Itself abroad
throughout our industry: that IN the
mind and Judgment of the leader If
more definite understanding OF and
sympathy with the man at the bench
and machine: something little more
IfIiINatS, something IttiS ftpiS asN
preciative. something really more
human 1,think it is so. II IL Is so,
IL Is the greatest thing that has hap
pened to America-greater than the
war, and infinitely worth the war
What does this all mean. reduced
to practice. for we are a practical
folk and we want to know whether
this can be reduced TO times Of the
days work or mott First. hope It
means a more open mind between the
Industrial leader and the men whom
he leads, think 1t has meant already
clear progress on the part OF en-
ployers toward understanding the
thoughts and the lives OF the men they
employ. Among the greatest arts OF
employment is that of getting at the
others viewpoint. Many of our
troubles. whether trtfiing or large.
come from failure to understand
what tine other fellow wants, to com
prehepd just how he looks at things.
and from the failure to understand
that an aspiration which we have is
not wrong when the other fellow has
IL, ! think | have known men in GER
tain positions TO seek an increase in
their own salary, while at the sane
time they would OBJECT TO a workman
looking FOR a dollar a day more. !
know I have heard OF superintendent
who objected to continuing the piece
work rate because the men. as he
thought, earned too much I have
friends today who do not realize. in
their sincere arguing of the relative
rights OF capital and labor, and in
their equally sincere effort to secure
the rights of capital. as they see, them.
against what they regard as the en-
croachments of labor, that they are
looking at the thing quite superfcially