Evening journal., 1919-03-01

dlfplaub factory ana Ollel import
ant manufacturing enterprises in
England, gave an interview which
was reproduced all over the coun-
try and attracted widespread at
tention and much comment, fav-
0rable and adverse, on account OF
his vigorous language regarding the
labor problem In the world today.
Sir Charles wrote the article printed
below in response to a request to
enlarge upon the subject Of his in
teryiew.
am confident that the majority OF
workers dlsapprOve OF the trade unions
attitude, but nothing better Is open TO
them. Mr.. Lloyd Georges last speech
shows that he is awake TO the fact
that IL is the most urgent question in
the world today. But he does not deal
with its defects, and nothing better Is
offered in place Of trade union prin-
ciples.
No settlement Of world peace can be
complete that has not solved the posi-
tion in which labor has chosen TO place
Itself. A League Of Nations seeking to
control the peace of the world which
omlts 10 provide for the control and
adjustment Of industrial peace and the
means TO protect and crush revolu-
tionary uprisings would seem to me
futile. Yet such is apparently the
case. II surprises me that Mr. Lloyd
George does not point out the fact.
And | imagine President Wilson will
discover that the area involved in the
labor disputes and the numbers en-
gagged represent a disturbance as great
as the one for which he is striving to
find a remedy.
Consideration OF the subject by both
sides Of industry should bring about
great advances toward arriving at max
imum output at fun wage values, how
ever short the hours in which the work.
ers may have been employed. But no
single statesman attempts TO deal with
the reaf disease sapping our countries
or realizes that wherever men ask for
shorter hours the object Is to secure
overtime conditions earlier in the day,
Every employer knows that men want
overtime pay, not shorter hours.
The workers should obtain the in
centlve TO put forth their full effort,
and receive a wage which would en-
tirely recompense them for such out
put without fear Of being cut in price,
even though the resulting payment per
hour might be much more than double.
At one time the employer owed much
TO labor; today labor owes much to
itself and democracy.
Labor should demand OF its trade
unions that they shall prove to the
world that they have brains, and thai
labor's force is the force Of intellel
and not OF mere numbers.
Labor with its proved power to CO.
cree industry should now proceed TO
use its power In a civilized Instead OF
an ignorant and uncivilized manner.
Labor has been flattered into believing
that Is is democracy-that II is to be
pitied-that the community necessarily
owes It something-yet 1t forgets that
It has never offered its full services to
the community.
That It owes to the community fits
full effort, and has a right and the
power TO obtain payment OF the value
Of It, there can be no doubt. Labor is
only a part Of democracy and, in con-
sequence Of trade uniOnism, the only
fettered part except the criminal, the
lunatic, most politicians and the in
valid-to the latter Of whom I apol-
Oglze for the association. To trade un-
ions no apology Is needed, for, since
Kaiserism is IN process Of removal, the
greatest crime left in the world is trade
unionism In It's present form. which
robs democracy wholesale Of mems
energy and ranks with BOlshevism,
which seeks to rob democracy Of It's
liberty. ! dinerentiate between poll
tlcians and statesmen. The latter are
rare products.
Let some statesmen offer labor a fair
deal and, II IL be refused, let League
Of Nations representing democracy
ruthlessly enforce It. For a peace be-
tween nations with nations under the
brutal ignorance, not Of labor but OF
its accredited leaders, is a farce. Let
democracy decline to be clOgged by
that minority which prefers to slack.
Labor has more than IL deserves Of the
good things Of the world, but not a
quarter of what il can have and will
deserve when 1t chooses TO take In re-
turn for It's full output the full value
thereof. It must learn that its power
would be spent TO its own advantage,
instead OF disadvantage, II II took
charge Of value and not hours.
The Whitley Committee in the House
Of Commons has recommended indus
trial councils in each trade to consid-
er its problems, and IL would be quite
as easy for such councils TO set up
machinery for agreement upon values
as today II is 10 agree upon wages.
These councils will be composed Of
employers and operatives in every in
dustry, with the necessary shop COM
mittee. The first point would be 10
find an automatic warning Of the
changes Of value, resulting in a cor
responding change Of wage, thus rem
dering strikes unnecessary.
IL may be conceded that a rise In the /
cost of living would warrant a rise /
in the workers wage, and here the |
trade unionist must remember that he !
is only a part OF the community. and |
must be unsellsh in his application of |
this measure Of equity by concedlng
1t also to clerks, professional men. |
technical and other brain workers. and
even to those who live on rents and
other such tokens of past work. Money
Is the token given for work done.
When labor unfetters itself, 1t Will
not find fault with those whom Il calls
capitalists, who hold much OF these
tokens. the result Of their own or their
forefathers' energy and brain.
One day labor, when It exerts its
full energy, will inherit the greatest
dividend in the world, and know that
these tokens are given In exchange for
value received. Labor will then be-
come the greatest capitalist In the
world. Beware that in It's folly 1t does
a