The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-04
CAPITAL AND LABOR
ARE IATtR-DEPEhDEhT
S1s0wtw Hours and Less Ton Should
Not He Gained by Fight or
Might Policy.
ny ROBERT WkI4I1Es RTrtMIE

ny ROBERT WEIAI1Es RrTeHIE
London. Feb. al am able to pre-
sent q compendium OF the opinions Of
the leaders Of British thought on the
British labor crisis, which Is the most
burning question OF the day. and one
which will require the greatest finesse
on the part OF the British government
and the Industrial captains to bring
about \ solution which will rescue the
country from the industrial chaos
which - now threatening.
With today's report OF 10 freight
ships being held up In the Tyne river
for repairs by the ship workers strik-
Ing, there Is q total OF 223.00o strik-
ars throughout Britain.
The opinions gathered through tn
terviews represent that British states
men are making the sternest endeay-
ors toward q solution.
Sir Eric Ceddes. former director OF
rehabilitation and present railroad
director. said to nae today:
"A half-million people are unem-
pioyed today out of q total of ten
million civilian war workers. OF the
military already one and a half mill
lion have been demohiiized-
The unemployment lis rising and
win continue to rise. But IL this were
the solo menace there would be reason
for optimism, but labor. the employ
ers and the government are all work
ing at cross purposes
The causes for this situation are
the evil OF mutual suspicion. disrust
and the lack of knowledge on each
aide OF the position of the other. In
Russia such suspicious produced chaos
which We are wise enough TO avoid
There are two possible solutions
Let labor itself take over some of tho
great national factories now being
sold and try 70 experiment In the mat
ter Of cooperative management !
arm not joking, but earnestly suggest
It
The other solution would be profit
sharing. so widely followed In Amer
lea, where employees are entitled to
see the essential igurea OF the man
axcment, and this removes suspicion"
Lord Lover-HulIns. a widely known
soap manufacturer and labor en-
ployer. said:
Capital and labor are absolutely
fnterdepenaent, but while capital
learns self reliance from the hard
school OF experience, labor has been
taught to depend upon government
grants. government doies and chart
ties, which are like the philosophers
stones-pure fallacy.
Labor must learn never to achieve
shorter hours and less arduous toll
by a fight or might policy or upon
suspicion and dis,rust of capital or by
reason OF any other means except self
prepara ton for cooperation and study
In and OF the duties OF directors and
the principles leading to their sue
cess"
q. H. Roberts, former minister OF
tabor and now food controller. said:
'~rhe tabor leaders will no: do any
good service to the rank and file II
they fail to point out that tho better
ment OF the Industrial position 10 only
permanently possible when our ma.
ti0naI industries are rehabilitated and
the productive power has been enor-
mously increased.
This is only possib'e from united
effort and an efiicient organization"
Sir Robert Horne, minister Of la
Dor. in an interview in the Express
today. said:
II am not in the least perturbe3 |
about these strike outbreaks, in the |
yense that anticipated them IA inev-
table They are q form Of tho reac-
ton after the war. but due primarily |
70 the war.
During the war thu men RETAINED |
from striking for many various rea- |
sons, but principally because they did |
not want 70 lot down The men 1T the
front
II believe the present state OF dis
In the labor world Il OF
, temporary nature and that the
trades unions will again come into
their own"