Evening star., 1919-12-31
FIGHT FOR CONTROL
OF INDUSTRY IS SEEN
IN PRESENT UNREST
Employers Drifting Toluard Attitude
of Judge Gary on Unionism.
Workers GrOWMOre Radical.

the employers, the capitalists, those
having the highest education. the
greatest power and influence. to so
manage their own affairs that there
will be left no just ground for crit-
ciSm.
His Policy stated.
A little later in the same address he
discloses wildly his whole policy to-
ward the workers. This should be read
carefully;
Make the Steel Corporation a good
place for them Uhe workers. to work
and live. Don't let the families go
hungry or cold give them play
grounds and parks and schools and
churches. pure water to drink, every
opportunity to keep clean. places of
enjoyment. rest and recreation; treat
ing the whole thing as ii business
propositions: drawing the line so that
you are just and generous and yet
at the same time keeping your posi-
ton and permitting others to keep
theirs, retaining the control and man
agement of your affairs: keeping the
whole thing in your own hands. but
nevertheless with due consideration to
the rights and interests of all others,
who may be affected by your manage
ment."
:, I, This is the very bony structure of
his philosophy; and Judge Gary, is
one of the rare men who have tried 10
practice all they preach. The Ste
corporation has spent millions of dol
lars in various forms of welfare work
forms so interesting and so signifi-
cant IN many WayS-the prevention of
accidents. the pension system and the
announcement of stock ownership for
the wOrkerS-that | shall enlarge
upon them in another article. He has
treated the whole thing as a business
proposition" He told the students of
Trinity College last June: "It pays
big. in dollars and cents. for the EN-
plover TO maintain working conditions
which are beneficial to the health and
disposition of the empIoye"
He has also adhered with eXtraor-
binary singleness of purpose to the Drin-
ciple he lays down for his subsidiary
presidents of keeping the whole thing
in their own hands,
Basis of Attitude Toward Inionism.
This principle forms, indeed, the
basis of his attitude toward unionism
IN his plants and explains his refusal
10 meet o" deal upon any terms, with
representatives of organized labor. His
iosic is clear. If once ii is admitted
that unionized workmen may have any
say regarding their conditions the
whoie fabric of. his philosophy begins
TO crumble. Judge Gary is not a weak
man. and not muddle-headed he saw
the issue from the very beginning and
mas the immense advantage as a leader
oi perfectly clear and logical posi-
.ich' ana on" concerning which he is
absolutely sure of himself He believes
II as one believes religious dogma
ne peieVes that if YOU let unionism be-
gin anywhere, it will mean more and
more power to the workers and finally
.he closed shop" 1t is nothing to him
that the strike leaders and Mr.. Com
pers oeciare that the strike is not for
a closed shop"-he will not have even
the Gamers head in the tent. To hin,
Sa Sacn cnange in the tried system which
ne knows, such division of control
even IN one department of the industry
not only threatens the uower of the
capitaifst-employer, but makes for con-
fusion and lowered production. He cites
.ne Ehshsh situation as an example of
TINS ana bids us beware of it,
Ill" View of Unionism.
Inc coroilary of his principles. of
80 Vurse, Is exactly what his foreman
ter what is good for the workmap
t .nan tne Workman himself knows He
:eIIs .ne Senate committee that union
Ism rs riot a good thing for either
'he employer or the employe."
We Know what the rights of our
dress. and we feel obIjpated 80
.ake pleasure in knowing that we
are at all times doing ali we can for
the people in our employ"
HOW ala you know" asked Sena-
tor Walsh. in the Senate innuirv
that hundreds of thousands Of vnIr
fied?" '"
know it." said Judge Gary. "be-
cause ! make it my particular bust
ness all the time to know the frame
OF mind Of our people. NV in.
ri 6i,cr I,a
the men are absolutely positive"
follows. then, that the strike
whlcn was a great surprise and shock
10 Judge Gary. was not due to his
WORKERS not due to any grievances
upon their part-for his instructjons
regarding their good treatment We're
aDsoiutefy positive--but to outside
ag1tators and revolutionaries and 10
foreigners, as he repeatedly tells the
senate committee
Knows Employer Attitude.
similarly, when the subject of the
tweive-hour day. the seven -dav week
tne long turn and the like comes up
mlttee he is forced by the logic Of
ms own pos1tion-for he has said thar
ne Knows at all times the frame of
NINA or his employes-to declare that
ms workmen really want the Ions.
day and Sunday work-aIthough nrac
before the Senate committees and
there were many of them. complained
of the long hours and the SUNDAY
work "'
The question of hours" Judge
Gary tells the committee. .has been
largely IA question of wishes. of de-
sire. on the part of the employees
themselves They want them because
they want more compensation
So much for the industry as it looks
IN It's broader aspects from above to
the only spokesman among the en-
ployers. Taking up. specificalIS. the
twelve-hour day complaint. the em-
ployers argue against change from a
two-shift to a three-shift basis on
account of the immense cost entailed
1t would require at once large in
crease in the number of workmen en-
ployed, when the labor supply in
America is already dangerously short,
and in most steel towns the housing is
far from sufficient for such added
population. There is great difficulty
also in making wage readjustments,
for if the workers go to an eight
hour day and expect twelve-hour pay
for 1t. and they cannot live on much
less. 1T means an enormous addition
to the labor cost of steel. The eight
hour day has already been introduced
in number of American steel mills,
though in none of those owned by the
United States Steel Corporation, and
it is universal in England and has
been for many years.
RadicaIism in Labor.
Another thing that disturbs the en-
ployers profoundly-and l am trying
to show how the situation really looks
and feels to them-iS what seems the
utterly wild demand of the men, rad
ical groups of labor. not only to
voice in settling labor questions
(Which is all that the conservative la
Dor movement has asked in the, pasO
but in the management of the indus
try itself. They assert that the whole