The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-10-10
TRUE PARTNERSHIP
IN INDUSTRY

"A clear anu lOTCclul statement VI
Americas industrial problem, and the
course which must be followed if it
is to be solved, was presented by At
torney General Palmer yesterday in
his address before the American Bank
ers' Association. 1t carried an appeal
which should be responded to by both
capital and labor. The full rights of
both of these vital factors in industry
were conceded by the attorney gen.
eral. But to neither did he concede
right to dictate terms to the other.
Capital, he pointed out, has been he
dictator. Labor now has built up
strength through powerful organiza-
ton and is at the point, in some in
stances, of threatening to set up an
equally iniquitous dictatorship, he said.
But satisfactory and workable adjust
ment of the difficulties in the indus
trial situation cannot be brought
about while either party endeavors TO
maintain dictatorial control. That
can come only, as Mr.. Palmer made
clear, through direct cooperation be-
tween capital and labor-through in
dustrial partnership.
The attorney general made use of
a statement grown trite by repetition
which yet serves fully to meet every
issue in industrial disputes. 1t es-
tablishes beyond question the supreme
justice of partnership in industry, no
matter to what magnitude an indus
try may be developed. He said:
"You cannot start a factory, nor
run it a single day, with money alone |;
you cannot start factory, nor run it
a single day, with labor alone. You
must have both these ingredients of
the real working capital of industry
to make the wheels of industry move.
One is as necessary as the other"
This is not new statement of the
case, but it is truth which is not al
ways kept in the foreground. Both
capital and labor too often forget it,,
or choose to ignore it.
Being mutually necessary, in the
operation of industry, why should
money and labor not be partners? Be-
ing joint agencies in producing pro-
fits, why should not the earnings of
both be determined by those profits,
on the basis of fair sharing of them ?
Why should either be dictator? Why
should capital have more than its just
portion Of those joint earnings, Or
less? Why should labor have more or
less?
If capital and labor meet with a de-
sire to understand each other, and
with a desire TO be fair with each
other, it is not beyond the possibilities
of negotiation and discussion to deter
mine their respective contributions to
industrial production. If the earn
ings of both are made to depend upon
the cooperative effort of both, there
will be production to a maximum de-
gree, and maximum production by cap
ital and labor, engaged in harmonious
industrial partnership, will lead
promptly to a solution of some of the
greatest economical problems of to-
day.
What argument can either capital or
labor advance against industrial part
nership, and a proportionate sharing
Of the profits of their joint product,
unless it be an argument prompted by
selfish reasons? Selfish claims in in
dustry must be eliminated. Selfish
ness would be satisfied with nothing
less than dictatorial rights. Partner
ship precludes dictatorship.
Present conditions are charged in
great part to agitators, working in
the ranks of class which capital die
tatorship has made fruitful field for
the teachings and importunings of ag-
itators. The way to rob agitatorS Of
their power, the attorney general said
to the bankers, is to remove the caus-
es of grievance from that class which
they seek to lead and stampede. These
causes of grievance can be removed by
admitting labor, in all its ranks and
grades, into full participating part
nership, to share fairly in the product
of its effort jointly with capital. More
than that, labor has no right to de-
mand. More than that would mean
radicalism and labor dictatorship.
Without strikes, without lockouts,
without strife and suffering and inter
ruption to production, every difficulty
in the industrial station of today can
be solved The call is to both capital
and labor to meet with desire for
fair dealing. The idea of building up,
of maintaining or of usurping power
must be discarded. The only solu-
ton lies in industrial partnership
one that is genuine, one characteriz-
ed by good faith on both sides, one es-
tablished for the purpose of promoting
mutual interests. By such partner
ship, engaged in full drive of produc-
ton, would all the people, everywhere,
be served well.-St. Louis Star.
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