The labor standard., 1919-06-01
AMERICAN LABOR GOING TO GET
 WHAT IT WANTS''
Neither Labor or Capital Can be the Whole of It, But Labor Must Come Into a Larger Consideration"
Christian Science Monitor.

Christian Science Monitor. Because America is America, it is safe to say that Labor in this country is going to get what it wants. This may sound bit drastic in some ears, but it does not mean that Labor can be the all-in-all of industry. It means rather that Capital can not be the whole of it, and Labor can not be the whole of it, but that Labor must come into larger consideration in conjunc- tion with Capital. Without much question, Labor is to have fair share in the direction of industry, as we'll as a fair share of the returns. This Is what Labor wants and is asking represented by the employer, is already showing some disposition to agree.
 The Consumers Interest
 This disposition is a hopeful sign, for there is greater interest involved in the situation than the interest of Labor on the one side and the inter- est of Capital on the other side. The great body of average men and women, the consumer class, so called, has an interest that is as great as that of either of the others. And it is becoming clear that MT. Average Git izen will be in a vastly better position to get relief from high prices and re- stricted supply, if Labor and Capital l agree that Labor shall have a larger place in the direction of industry, than he now occupies.
 Labor's Responsibility
 There are two reasons why this is true. In the first place, with Labor fairly represented on the board of directors of an industry producing some one of what people call the nec- essaries of life, Labor cannot agree to a plan or method for increasing the price without subjecting itself, in it's capacity as large proportion of the consumer class, to the burden of what ever price is made necessary. Labor will, of course, be in better position than it has been in the past to secure such wages as will enable it, as part of the consumer class, to meet the high prices; but it will have well-de- fined interest in keeping prices low culty in getting wages increased. and in addition there will be the gen. eral incentive to keep prices down to a level where the readiness of the consumer class to purchase will not be, to any noticeable extent. discour- aged. Moreover, Labor, with share in the direction of such an industry, will, of course, mean something more than merely the workers employed in the industry under discussion. It will mean also, in its consumer-class ca pacity, the rest of organized Labor in all the other industries. If the Labor of particular industry, becoming too eager to force high wages, should be willing participant in raising the price of the output to a point beyond what MT. Average Citizen feels that he can reasonably pay, the mass of Labor outside the particular industry under discussion may be expected, in it's consumer capacity, to make prompt use of it's labor union relationship to induce the fraction of Labor that IS directly active in the industry to bring about a fairer price, even at some group sacrifice.
 Must Play Fair
 The other reason why giving Labor a share in direction will be likely to benefit the average citizen is because Labor's presence will tend to prevent the manipulation of capital stock in such fashion as to give, while at the same time concealing, a double meas
 
 tical persons may hold that all such things could go on as heretofore, even with Labor present, if only Labor should be accorded it's proportion on the transaction. But even if that were true so far as the fraction of Labor directly associated with the particular industry were concerned, the afflla- tion of that fraction of Labor with the rest of the Labor movement would in volve a responsibility to play fair that could not be disregarded with lmpu- nity. That is to say, if the fractional part of the Labor movement could be bribed by share of the cut melon, it is inconceivable that the rest of the Labor movement could be so brlbed. Melons, with all their mammoth, pro- portions, nowadays, are not Iarge enough for that. For, the rest of the Labor movement would constitute great proportion of the consumer class, and, stirred by it's interest as consumer, it would reach out toward the offense with the power and lnf1u- ence of the labor unionist. Thus, that which the public has so obviously lacked in it's relation to the high cost of living, namely, organization, would be at least partially provided for IL through the agency of organized Labor. Even the unorganlzeo classes of workers could hardly escape oene- ficial effect if the trend toward organ ization in Labor circles should be maintained relatively as at present. Labor Seeks Industrial and Political
 Rights
 Now, it would be idle to intimidate that Capital is prepared to accept all this at the present time. PerhapS It would be wide of the truth to say that Labor has carried it's purposes out to any such conclusions. Yet that the trend is in some such direction as that just outlined it would be idle to deny; Labor in the United States has played it's part manfully in the war; it has record that, even on the score of self abnegation in the face of the public interest, will compare favorably with that of Capital. Labor feels that It has proved it's right to a share in the conduct of world that is to be made safe for democracy. And just as It already has political rights in the