New-York tribune., 1919-10-17
Rockefeller
Backs Labor
La Bargaining 9
Continued from page l

shops. He said latest statistics show
that 50 per cent of American shops
employ less than $50 men. He con-
tended there are but few large shops,
and he said employers object to fix
ing one principal for all industry. Mr..
Fish contcnded that the discussion was
premature and the time allowed for it's
consideration was too brief
Mr.. Fish pleaded for the "open shop
summing up the issue this way: care
we to send out the pronunciamento
that the employer is obliged to receive
representatives not from among his
own men,"
Mr.. Rockefeller read his address
from a prepared manuscript. He said,
in part:
81 speak as a member of the public
group.
81 hold no executive position in any
business corporation and am not here
representing any business interests.
have come in response to the request
of the President to accept appoint
ment as one Of the representatives Of
the general public in this conference,
and am considering the questions
which come before the conference
from that standpoint.
"The resolution before the confer
ence is predicated upon the principle
of representation in industry, which
includes the right to organize and the
right to bargain collectively.
"In supporting this resolution l beg
leave to present the following state
ment, which, for the sake of brevity
and clearncss | have reduced to writ
ing:
"The experiences through which our
country has passed in the months of
war, exhibiting as they have the
willingness of all Americans, without
distinction Of race, creed or class, to
sacrifice personal ends for great
Of brotherhood and cooperation have
been revelation to our own people
and cause for congratulation to us
all.
Seeks to Retain Stimulus
"Now that the stimulus Of the war
is over the question which confronts
our nation is how can these high levels
of unselfish devotion to the common
good be maintained and extended TO the
civic life of the nation IN times OF
peace.
"We have been called together to
consider the Industrial problem. There
are pessi alists who say there is no So
luton short Of revolution and the over
turn of the existing social order. Sure
" the men and women who have shown
themselves capable Of such lofty sac
rifice, who have actually given them
selves so freely, gladly, unreservedly
as the people Of this great country
have during these past years, will
stand together as unselfshly in solv-
ing this great industrial problem as
they did in dealing with the problems
Of the war, if only right is made clear
and the way TO a solution pointed out
''The world position which ou1 coun-
try holds to day is due to the coopera-
ton Of the four factors in industry
labor, capital, management and tht
public.
Warns Against Domination
at is clear that the common interest
cannot be advanced by tie effort OF
any one party to dominate the other
to dictate arbitrarily the terms OF
which it alone VIII cooperate, t
threaten to withdraw if any attcmp
is made to thwart the enforcement 0.
its will. Such position is AS un
+ American as it is intolerable.
NN'N
ditions, those who invest their capita
in an industry, often numbered by th'
thousand, cannot have acquaintanc'
with the thousands and tens Of thou
sands of those VINO invest their labor
contact between these two parties il
interest can and must be established
I if not directly, then through their re
spectivc representatives.. The resump
ton OF such personal relations, through
frequent conference and current meet
ings held for the consideration of mat
ters of common interest, such as term
of employment and working and iv
ing conditions, is essential in order t
restore a spirit of mutual confidence
good will and cooperation. Persona
relations can be revived under moder
conditions only through adequate rep
resentation of the employees. Reprc
sentation is a principle which is funda
mentally Just and vital to the success
ful conduct Of Industry. This il tn
principle upon which the Democrat
government of our country is founded
On the battlefields of France this ns
ton poured out its blood freely i