The sun., 1919-09-07
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the size of the establishment and with
local conditions. Standing committees
and all kinds of special committees are
chosen and matters are considered
with care by the men who are called
| upon to put them into effect.
The House OF Representatives is the
popular body of this novel system of
industrial government 1t Is selected
| on the basis of one representative for
each twenty or forty employees or on
whatever scheme may be best suited
| to the establishment The meetings
are held in the time of the employer.
| Those toilers who work by the piece
are paid In proportion to the amount
| they might have earned had they been
| at their machines or benches. Mr..
Leitch says that the plan would fail
miserably II its provisions were car
ried out outside Of the business hours.
Much of the work Of the House is con-
Quoted through committees which in
vestigate and consider and hold con-
ferences with committees of the upper
House.
| We have here, therefore, an ar
! rangement which suggests the tripar-
tite organization OF the Plumb plan;
that is, the representatives of the
| stockholders, an intermediate class
represented by the Senate. and the
actual workers of the House.
All measures before becoming laws
must be passed by the two houses and
approved by the Cabinet The liaison
officers or conferees are busy mean
while in ironing out differences and
| 80 s,,I trfa
progress.
Everything Is supposed to run
smoothly while this triple rule con-
tnues. II there are grievances on the
part Of the workmen they bring the
matter to the attention of the House
and the machinery of government pro-
ceeds. In adjustments concerning
piece rates, Mr.. Leitch states that his
plan has been especially effective.
When there is a spirit of dissatisfac-
ton It is not permitted to grow. be-
i cause there Is the means at hand for
readjustment, or at least starting on
the course toward an understanding.
The shop meeting becomes a factor
which Mr.. Leitch considers of great
value.
There is a vast difference" he
writes, between a union meeting and
a shop meeting. The union is prob
ably antagonistic to the employer for
some reason-good or otherwise. But
the shop meeting, If the employer has
convinced 1t of his desire to be fair
will not be unfair. The men who will
vote regardless of whether or not they
arc killing some ones goose will not
vote to kill their own goose.
Through the machinery Of democ-
racy 1t is perfectly possible for the
employees and the employer to reach
common ground and to begin to
know each other. 1t is hard to have
serious Misunderstanding If there is
a wide opportunity to exchange views
and appreciate viewpoints. and that is
precisely what the machinery Of indus
trial democracy affords"
Mr.. Leitch then shows that to make
this plan truly successful there must
be back of II a sustained business
policy. He finds the Golden Rule a
good foundation for this, and he ther
analyses that precept Of all the ages
} into five parts - Justice. energy
economy. cooperation and service He
, impresses these upon his hearers al
/ the preliminary meetings. which are
, permeated with his Interpretation o.
the square deal" The founder
stresses throughout the idea that 1t II
not the rate of wage but the produc,
] ton which is the important thing IL
} the life of every industry.
Wages are low" he observes, "oi
| high according to the production which
they cause. A wage at $40 a day 1!
} cheaper than a $5 wage II the 81
man turns out $40 worth OF produc
t ton and the IS man produces only S4.'
} He is opposed to speeding up, how
{ ever. that is the production Of quantit,
I without regard to quality, as he think
that the aim Of the workmen should
! be to produce first class articles ant
that he will produce them IL he ha
pride and interest in bis work.
] Profit sharing he does not indors'
) because the methods by which /
: is administered make the time OF th'
s dividend too remote and the book
! keeping required is complicated. Mr.