The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-08-22
REAL INDUSTRIAL
DEMOCRACY IS THIS

/
in industry and that America must
become the home Of industrial free
dom. Warren S. Stone, Grand Chief
of the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers, and President of the
4 Plumb Plan League, gave the key
statement of labor in the hearing
before the House and Senate Com
mittees today Wednesday, July g..
He argued that there could be no
solution of the industrial problam
and no lowering of the cost of liy-
ing as long as consumers had to pay
extortionate profits on their own
earnings in purchasing the neces-
saries of life. Labor's belief in the
Sims bills. he said, was profound,
In this plan" he concluded, 1--WE
raise the banner of democracy in
control Of industry, we advance to
new crusade with the faith of the
! Pilgrims. with the convictions Of
the trainers Of the Constitution and
with the hope Of America for eco
nomic independence. His state
ment was as follows:
at the request of these organiz-
ations the Sims bill is now before
you. | speak as the voice of these
two million men, delegated by them
to announce to this committee and
to the people of this country that
they are supporting this measure
with all the strength and all the
unity of purpose that can move so
large a body Of citizens.
Joined with us and represented
by Mr.. Morrison is the American
Federation of Labor, adding three
million and half men to that body
of railway employees who instituted
this movement.
IN the industrial development of
this country great organizations Of
capital first appeared as employers.
Individual workers, following the
example set by capital, organized as
employees. Their purpose was to
secure better working conditions
and larger measure of return for
their labors. The full force of cap
italistic organizations has been set
against labor to hold and to keep
all the profits of industry. The
strength of the labor unions has
been exerted to wrest from capital
some share of the profits for the
wage earners.
This has been a perpetual strug
gle by the workers to maintain a
tolerable standard of existence; on
the part of capital to amass greater
profits. At times, both sides could
ignore the needs of the public But
now the very growth Of the labor
organizations has brought into their
ranks a great mass of the cOnsum-
ers. The large number of the wage
earners now constitute a large per-
centage Of the people. The extern
sion of industry has changed the
nature of the previous struggle.
For whatever the worker re-
ceives in wages he must spend for
the necessaries of life. In addition,
he is always compelled to pay to the
employer an excessive profit on his
own wages. The cost of his living
is determined by the sum he earns,
plus the profit he is charged on his
own labor. And as a group, labor is
forever prevented from lettering its
lot because Of the profits eXacted
by the employer. The hope OF
finer life is never realized. So long
as consumers are forced to pay eX-
| tortionate profits on their own earn
/ ings to a third interest, there is no
solution of the industrial problem.
Eve find that this third interest
absolutely controls and dominates
the management of industry. 1t
fixes wages and controls working
conditions. 1t fixes the prices of
commodities without regard to the
needs of society, or the necessities
of producers and consumers. We
have a democratic form of govern
ment but an autocratic control of
industry.
1--WE exist under government. but
| by industry we live. Under such a
system the majority of a democracy
can. through their government, en-
JOY only such rights and privileges
as an autocracy in industry permits
them to receive. This country was
peopled by a race who sought within
it's boundaries religious freedom. 1t
was established by their descend
ants through revolution as a land
of political freedom. We now de-
mand that it become the home of
! industrial freedom.