Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-07-18

democracy is the question OF the
present labor problem in America
according to A. C. Bedford, chair
man of the board of directors OF the
Standard Oil Company of New Jer-
sey. .o
In an interview describing the
working out of q plan OIL S0N
~. ;,augurated in the Stahu"iu
nn Comnanv and in operation moio
wear. he declared that Il
American business men use 1s :,
,h,o Intelligence and sympa.nS IS
aoiI I;,g with their men -thelo IN
'hine to be feared from laSoi
rest in America. - activities
Mr. Bedford's views anu 10 is
,re important inasmuch af Ia
one of the largest employer 9,,nn 60
bor in the United states - the
luton with which he mas i ioh hor
standard Oil Company rest
troubles and laid them
equally is illuminating u
plan Working wen IA
- than a year." he sald'
,,,an of government which au-
- a.. tbe worker to representation
~ tho conduct of his own puslheaS
tas been in operation, and uurine
tha+ time not the slightest lrouoio
80 risen between worker anu en-
nIoyer The plan is not hostile "
49, unions Under it, tine men
are free to ioin labor unions or ho''
&c thev please. And they get d GER
- and sure method OF maklhs
tbair voices heard in the manage
ment of the industry ,s oil
'Rack in 1918, the Standard Oll
Comnany decided to get on new
hasis with it's employes-to snow
them convincingly that the inter
asts of employer and employe were
~ came. to make them the saine'
in fact Many methods were us
cussd and finally the present sSs-
tenn was evolved.
How 1t Works Out
A Joint board is set up colsie.
ing of a group OF workers ele0too
Inv their fellows by secret paiiot' w
pether with an equal nunper u
representatives of the mahaSelilel.'
There is one representative 10 each
1870 workers, and at least TWO repie
sentatives from every ihipoi '''i'
division of the industry. .,a
Maetinp at regular intervals, this
ioint board handles all questions
relative to wages, hours of employ
noant discharge of unsatisfactory
workers. unsanitary conditions IN
tho shops, etc. In case of Disagree
r,ept the matter is referred TO the
hoard of directors. But in hiteen
roonths no such cases have arisen
One condition which has always
;rked workmen is that of UNJUST
! discharges. This is guarded against
and doubly guarded against, under
the standard Oil plan. FIRST OF an
on,, man considering himself un-
i,,st,v discharged can place his case
Sofore the ioint board. But, in ad-
Sit;on every foreman holding the
anyyer of discharge, has a list Oh
ee+aon offenses for which a man
49, he summarily discharged or
smsnended. Beyond that list (wnlch
contains only the graVest Oh Oh
Fansosl he cannot go. III the tore-
nan desired to discharge man LOT
anv other offense than those Hsted'
he must first give him formal warn
ing that repetition will brlng dis
missal. , =, ,,,hore
| the paddock is riNeted on tne uoor'
no man can be discouraged lor any
offense, whether of the llst or not,
until his foreman first has reported
oil the facts to the employment de-
nartment and a full investigation
has been made. The offender may
| then be transferred to another de-
nartment, suspended, or, II the su-
printendent approves, discharged.
Mr.. Bedford believed that tine
noise made by those advocating rad
ical changes in our form OF govern
rnent to-day is entirely out of pro-
nortion TO their numbers and i'm
| portance."
Tho unrest shaking Europe and,
~ a far less degree, felt here in
| America. is due, according to Mr..
Redford. to the belief that after the
war we should have a new world.
people. he declared, are disappoint-
| ed to find the same old everyday
| problems confronting them, as be-
| fore the war. AS result. the world
| faces an amazing array of economic
heresies, ranging from the craze for
governmental control of all forms
Of commerce to the Bolsehvist
frenzy which would destroy the
world.
But added Mr.. Bedford, if en-
ployers use common sense, intelli-
gence and sympathy with labor. and,
| II labor uses common sense and in
telligence in it's dealing with capt.
tai. the futupe of America is safe.
employers" he declared, ARE
more generally realizing their re-
| sponsibilities toward their employees,
not only in the matter of wages but
also in the conditions under which
thew work and live. Big business to-
/ day is being humanized. The per-
sonal contact which existed when the
! employer knew every one of his men
by name is being restored"
on the other hand. he said, labor
...,. nnt a oood deal into the not