Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-30
Circulation Every 1p7On
Evening Yesterday L y ~
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 80. 1919.
Progress Towards Industrial Harmon


Progress Towards Industrial Harmony.
President Wilson's second Industrial
Conference already has progressed to the
extent of a tentative plan 10 dea with
she grave industrial problem Of the couD-
try 1t proposes to establish 3 National
Industrial Tribunal with twelve regional
boards of inquiry and adjustment. The
tribunal won-d he board Of appeal from
the decis 0ns Of the regional boar Is which
would hcar and decIic upon disputes
within their RESPECTIVE territorial luns-
dlctions leg station for the creation Of
thus machinery will nc asked Of Congress
But no matter what opcrat ng ma
chincry may be devised the permanent
solution of all labor troubles vii still.
remain largely subject to the attitude, the
spirit the purposes If both EMPLOYERS
and employees If any machinery will
sd n bringing these two e.cments g
plane ol uI.ser.sh consideration of eli
questions and harmonious conclusions, It
ulIl io great good.
Conditions in tho industrial world have
undergone radical changes during very
recent years. They have operated to
incrcas, the earnings Of labor to an enor-
nous extent Also to increasa the scope
II lndIstr, and the operations Of the EN-
powers Naturally, labor has been af-
fcctcd mentally as wei IS financially by
the tremendous increase in its earnings
vhirh has lnzted among many workmen
large ideas "a 70 the value of Their services
or Whist thew deem possible of attainment.
A So the same cond tions have incited
1arge emp oycrs Of labor to resistance to the
demands of lahor which they consider
exorbitant and strike troubles hsve been
he inevitable result
Still, the country h2s not lost faith n
The possibilities Il good by consultation
With view to amicable agreement, and
To arbitration whore such agreement may
not b. reached. Sound arbitration, with
Us decisions accepted and respected by
both sldes. Will still bring good results
whcn awaited Of.
One Of the most encouraging features
of the developments Of recent years is the
enlarged recognition Of labor : Just claim
that il ls entitled . 5 larger and faircr
return Of the profits Of production than II
had previously enjoyed under the wage
systctn. THIS is shown in the vast sums
of money distributed n labor within the
past few years n tn, form Of t,2Luses and
specIal wagt Increases for special results
of Their INDUSTRY No longer is labor
hooked upon merely as a commodity TO
be baycz.ined f3r aad paid for oniy On the
bass Of securing the most for the least
expendturc OF money. And tbs change
has come T. stay.
Bot TINS change 50 encouraging, is
not 10 be regarded hv labor as an absolute
-cht, winch il may take advantage Of
without -,vlng full measure II return.
There Is an obligation on the part Of labor,
as well as on the part Of the employer. and
Il must be respected. Labor should agree
70 regulations IN the interest Of the en-
plover. as well as the latter to regulations
in the interest Of labor And one q
the most important Of labor's obligations,
one that il q large measure has been
ignored In the past is the assurance Of
stability II the product II supplies.
Thousands Of dollars have been lost by
EMPLOYERS through the instability OF
labor. especially IN busy times Time and
again contractor for large enterprise,
probably bound by time hInit IL bis
contract. has found his operations seri-
lousy handicapped by the instability OF
labor Many pay night has been fol-
lowed by q loafng Indulgence the next
day or two that sadly interfered with the
progress Of work and made Large hole IN
expected profits.
In days long since departed, when sll
the tvpe-setting On daily papers MS done
by hand the great mor1ing dailes Of the
country, almost wthout exception. en-
pIoyed members Of the Typographical
unions only Wty2 Because the union
regulations exacted Of al union members
steady labor. No union printer could
leave his work without installing Il sub
stitute in his place, severe penalties being
imposed by union rules for failure With
his "sIb" duly installed be could take as
long vacation as be desired, and then /
return tohis position
The result Of tins arrangement was that
papers which required from IS to 100 |
oompositors each night, with larger
number Saturday nights, we're assured Of a /
complete working force at Ill times an
advantage Of incalculabIe value in view Of |
the imperative necessity of getting out d
complete paper each morning The pub |
lehers naturally preferred union labor for /
the security ii thus carried
How many labor unions today Tecog-
n,xe this very important obligation Oh the |