The sun., 1919-09-07

avoid disaster. There are employers
who are so stern and unrelenting that
they are always at loggerheads with
those who work for them, and on
the other hand there are capitalists
who are so given to consideration for
their hired men that they seem soft
and the employees get the idea that
the man who pays their wages is
afraid Of them.
Whatever is being done by Mr..
Leitch, as he describes it, Is not
tinctured by welfare work spoiled in
the making. 1t Is definite theory
that has. according to his own account
and that of disinterested observers, had
the test Of practice. The founder calls
his system "The Solution of the Labor
Problem as Worked Out by the Author
for Twenty Large Corporations" His
book embodies the experiences Of ten
years devoted to the development Of
his theories. His final inspiration
came, according to his own account,
when one night he was pacing his
room in a New York hotel still
wrestling with the perplexing equa-
| ton.
why" he asked himself. and here
his words are quoted, SHOULD de-
mocracy be confined to politics? Why
| should 1t not be applied to great or
ganizations Of industry?
Best Form of Government.
II next asked myself, which country
| has the best system Of government in
the whole world. Immediately I saw.
1 Of haf hn ad
the best form of government ever con-
ceived by the brain of man. Then and
there I resolved to study out from
every angle how our national form of
| government could be adapted to the
government of business organiza-
ton. I gradually reasoned out that
the warmth which came from the close
intimate association of master and
man in the pre-machinery days has
disappeared and one vital need was to
devise some method whereby the
warmth and intimacy and friendliness
could be restored"
The plan of Leitch is blending OF
the scheme of government laid down
in the Federal Constitution and of the
spirit of the medieval guilds. In the
halcyon days In the Middle Ages the
artist artisans took a genuine pride
in the toll of their hands and consid-
cred II duty to train apprentices tc
| succeed them. So there Is also q
glimpse of that far distant age de-
scribed by Kipling when no one shall
work for pay and all shall paint things
Just as they are. This is something
like the millennium. but what doe,
John Leitch. Apostle of the New Era
care? He cheerfully admits it's mil
lennial.
The method OF Mr.. Leitch is delib.
crate. He first gets the confidence OF
both men and employers and IL al
are willing organizes the factory ol
other business institution into what he
terms a little democratic state, with 6
representative government with wei
defined legislative and executive
phases. The organization then is
divided into three divisions-the Cabi.
net, the Senate and the House o.
Representatives.
Cabinet IL Not Elective.
In the Cabinet are the executiv,
officers of the firm or corporation
This body is not elective as far as thu
! workers are concerned. for II exist
as the medium through which tn,
stockholders express themselves.
has the power to veto everythinl
which the Senate and House may sug
, gest or pass. The author insists
however, that In none of the estab
lishments which have tried the metho
has the veto ever been exercised. TIL,
Cabinet can pass upon matters orig
mated by the two other bodies ant
| also make suggestions. In our pres
ent system OF Government we hav
, seen that the President and his nd
visers are in a position to sugges
somewhat strongly Just what can b
done. The Cabinet meets once a weel
, TO discuss proposals and bills. /
, they accept suggestions from the up
! per and lower houses of the industria
congress they duly promulgate them.
, Next comes the Senate. which. un
like the same body in our nations
legislative body, is not elective. It 1
, composed OF under executives, depart
ment heads and sub-foremen and II
composition varies in accordance witt