The Washington herald., 1920-03-28

management predicts failure for the
plan II the representatives 60 about
their work like politicians. II holds
great possibilities for the construct
i've statesman.
Goodyear industrians viii have a
large voice in shaping the policy Of
the factory in the future says Mr..
Litchfield. "on such subjects as en-
ployment and working conditions,
housing and living conditions. safe
ty. sanitation. health. restaurants.
employee transportation, recreation.
athletics and entertainment. contin-
uous work and reconstruction prob
lens. The efficiency and perms-
nence of this plan. as in any demo-
cratic form OF management. will de-
pend on the interest taken by those
eligible to vote"
In every paragraph there are sug-
gestions of self-goyernment. with
the consequent abolition OF arbitra-
tion. which hitherto has been the
keystone to the adjustments of in
dustrial disputes. Will this plan
solve the muititudinous problems
connected with the running of q
plant where $4,000 men and women
are employed? The factory manager
and vice president does not say SO.
Neither does d. r. Stevens manager
Of the labor division. It Is a wait
and see" policy with both.
Not q Cure-aH.
This plan is positively not in
tended as a panacea for the evils
in industry" said Mr.. Stevens. I'VE
claim nothing altruistlc for II. II
Is an experiment. The men may
make it a success. 1t is in their
hands"
1t Is counted as an experiment by
the men themselves. They have been
told that it Is the best plan devised
to date for any industry. They have
also been told that in some indus
tries IL would not be safe for the
management or the owners to trans
fer so much power to the hands of
the men on account OF the large
percentage of foreign employees. In
their own company Americans are
in the majority. Although no ac-
tual figures were forthcoming 1t was
calculated that over so per cent of
the employees had a right to vote
That Is probably large
Naturally IL is an open shop. OPP
ponents of the plan fear that IL IL
works there will be no necessity for
unions. Those for it hope that the
next step will be profit-sharing on
such a scale that the workmen will
actually become equal owners with
the original stockholders. At the
present a minimum wage OF Sc a
day Is in force. but this did not
come about by action of the assem-
bly,. The management put that into
operation before the men themselves
started to make laws for the whole
concern.
Employees Hold ss,OOO.O 900 I'm stock.
In place Of profit sharing. which
unquestionably will come, should the
theories of the vice president of the
company be put into practice, there
are numbers OF other features. EN-
ployes. for instance, hold about SS,-
100000 of Goodyear stock, which
pays the holders 10 per cent through
a system of added bonus. Last Oc-
tober over $4,000 men and women
bought preferred stock.
Aside from this feature of becom-
ing partners in the concern, there
are schools. libraries, insurance. sick
benefits. recreation schemes, hospi-
tails, service associations. civic GEN.
ters and such, but despite al these
1t is admitted that industrial prob
lens have not been settled nor the
men completely satisfied. Those who
have watched II. however, consider
IT a great experiment in altruistic
management. They are also wait
ing and wondering whether the in
dustrial heresies as set forth in Mr..
Litchfeld's The Industrial Repub-
lie" will be put into practice.
G. w. AXELSON.