Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-10-07

vital factor in the settlements that
issue from the conference.
( Take only a few of them as ex-
Namples. There's Gavin McNab OF
California. who has had remark
/ able experience in conciliating labor
and capital on the Pacific coast-a
( big hearted. broad-gauged Citizen
with as progressive a viewpoint as
| the west has, which is saying n
great deal. Then there's Bernard
/ NJ. Baruch, who has spent most OF
his life in the atmosphere of Wall
street making money, but Of whom
it is said nowadays that when he
came to Washington he found his
SOUL He gave up his seat in the
stock exchange and dedicated his
life to public service. He handled
the war industries board during the
war which had much 90 do with
keeping labor satisfied. H. B. En-
| dicott, shoe manufacturer. who was
one of the first to proclaim the g.
hour day, has had remarkable sue
cess as an arbitrator between CAPT
tai and labor in Massachusetts. l..
T. Meredith of Iowa is another
business man OF prominence who
believes in the cooperative idea as
between employer and employe.
Thomas D. Jones of Chicago IS
a personal friend of Mr. Wilson and
a dominant figure in the zinc in
dustry and fmbued with the Wilson
idea of bringing about compro-
misses in industrial troubles. Then
the socialistic writings of John
Sprage and Charles Edward Rus
sell are well known.
Will See Something Is Done.
Men like these will not permit
the labor conference TO wind up
after prolonged debate in merely a
majority and minority report or
lack of specific recommendation
altogether. They are not extreme
radicals, any of them-they will III
the end like compromising legis-
lators, get as much as they can.
And they will sacrifice some things
to get unanimous agreement and
nationwide support. They will not
attempt too much in the beginning.
But they will endeavor to get
agreement on certain fundamentals
affecting the relations of employer
and employee to which men can
turn as they would to a charter or
constitution in any political state
or private organization. The OPP
portunity to write q peace treaty
between capital and labor appeals
to the conferees as almost as big
an opportunity as the delegates
had at Versailles. A feeling of big
ness, of distinction, of Importance,
of transcendent prestige enveloped
the conference at its opening
encouraging sign. For the dele |
gates felt the backing, the COMPEL |
ing voice of the constituent bodies !
which they represent.
Every Side Represented.
Practically every interest in |
voIved in industry is represented !
but the disorganized. disorderly, /
lawless elements which want no
common counsel, no utilization with |
the American Federation of Labor |
or allied bodies, no agreements and !
no understanding, but absolute So
cialization and possession Of the
sinews of industry, were naturally /
not invited.
Their strength will diminish &C
cOrQlnSiY as the dCl-eF EI4lcn-S tL D.
the conservative, orderly, but new /
ertheless aggressive leaders of t
labor are successful in making the .
average workingman believe thai ,
in discussion and counsel lies some ,
advantage to the employe, for en- J
ployers usually are willing to
grant advantages. to make conces- .
sions, If they can be certain of eff
fciency, of stimulated production, .
of the validity Of contracts made +
with labor and of an area of sta
bility instead of the intermittent
menace of strikes and extremist
agitation. Both sides in the con-
ference know the principles-they
are not new. They know the basis
of a reciprocal understanding.
Industrial Peace Begins.
The problem is to get all en-
ployers everywhere to subscribe
to them and also to get all en-
ployes everywhere to respect them.
The dominant note at the confer
ence is optimism because the mere
getting together in advance over
the past and the Willingness to
agree. to desire to work something
out that will be mutually helpful
and stabilizing in its psychological
effect is unquestionably present.
The first days of a domestic peace
conference have begun.