Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-28
Tackle Industrial Relations
By BRIGGS
Meyer Bloomfield in the Saturda!
Evening Postl

Meyer Bloomfield in the Saturday
Evening Postl
To-day no man is too big or toe
busy in the industrial organization
to give time and thought to the hu-
! man factors in the situation. With
| the best executive brains of indus
try foremost in the present discus
sion OF Britain's economic future
there is warrant enough for an at
ttude of hopefulness, at least.
War came to an end abruptly as
everyone knows. 1t might be sup
posed that with the four years OF
agony over, business men would
make n rush upon the government,
clamor for the privileges war had
about annihilated, and proclaim the
instant resumption of business as
usual" There is reason enough for
starting up. But business made no
such rush nor set up much of any
clamor; and as for proclamations,
the Britisher is not much of a pro-
claimer. Instead of scramble, from
the morning of the armistice to this
very minute, the processes of order,
restraint and Thoughtful planning
have operated and characterized the
transition from war to peace. And
what is more to the point, the first
concern of every industrial leader
has been, not with recapture of
trade. but with making a fresh start,
a right start in the matter of indus
trial relations.
A man who has done as much as
any one individual to build up the
industries of Western England IS
giving practically all his time to this
work. He is for doing away with
delay and procrastination. He
maintains that there is information
enough at hand for a start in set
tling the relation of employer and
employed.
I'VE have had Investigations
enough" he said; "let us do some
thing now. There is sense enough
on both sides to put behind us some
Of the problems that have been har-
assing industry. Our insularity, so
often a stumbling block, may in this
instance be our safeguard. AS for
immediate measures that can be
taken to deal with the situation, it
is clear that they must be progress
sive to an extent hitherto unparal-
leled, and that the grievances of
labor must be met in the most gen.
erous spirit. There is little doubt
that they have. many of them. a
substantial foundation in fact. Be-
lief is more important than truth.
and labor's conviction that it has
not had a square deal will not be
shaken by any evidence which it is
likely can be adduced before a royal
commission.
IF the sense of injury can be re-
moved by a generous pledges bill
and bv setting up machinery for the
Investigation of profiteering and un-
due profits: if. further. labor's de-
sire for increased control of it's in
dustrial life is generously met by
rapid extension on tho lines fore
shadowed bv the Whitley report
Joint industrial councils); and IL.
on the one hand. on all occas sions
labor is honestly and fairly met and
not left with n sense OF having been
used for a purpose. and, on the
other. is not treated like n trouble
some and unrrlv schoolbov who has
70 be homo~ed nv his elders: il. in
fact.. labor is understood as having
come to manhood-there is every
hone that the difficulties of the tran-
sition period will be successfully
met"