Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-31
FOSTER STILL SEES
ABOLITION OF WAGE
Orgnnzer OF Steel Strike Declares Labor Is Really Radi
B cal Under Conservative "Camoufdge'' and Yarns
of Another and Greater Industrial Conflict

.
eanizer Of the steel strike. still holds
that organized labor is Fundamentally
evolutionary. and that its ultimate
purpose In the abolition Of the wage
system. He believes the labor unions
nuet recognize this theory Of his as a
baslc fact Of their organization and
Policy, In order to end desertion to the
I,W. w. and other frankly revolution
ary organizations ''of the large and
ever-increasing numbers Of workers
and sympathizers who refuse n face the
prospect OF a society forever based upon
the wage system"
He is still syndicalist. although
wheu chorged with his radical beliefs
while the strike was on. he disavowctl
them as vagnries Of his youth EXPRESSED
( m his book "Syndicalism.
The philosophy Of Foster. who. per r.
hapr beyond all others. was rcsnonsi e
Die for the organization and condnct of
the steel strike. Is again ovnoundod in
9 book just issued. entitled THE Great
Steel Strike and Its Lessons "
The fundamental tenet that wages
should be abolished md the worker
have stake in the means Of prndrrtion
II as much part Of his present economic
belief as ID was whom hc wrote syn.
dicalism.' In that book hc said:
The thieves at present in contol Of
the industries must he stripped Of
their booty. This social reorganlza-
tfon viii be revolution.
The syndicalist sees In the state only
an instrument Of oppression. He sees
no ueed Tor any general supervising
governmental body
The prospect OF hIoodshed does NOT
HiEhten the syndicalist worker
The syndicalist allows no considera-
Won or legality. religion. patriotism,
honor, duty. etc. to stand in the way
OF his adoption Of effective tactics.
Recanted His Opinions
Syndicalism" was written in 1911
In October. 1919. when Mr.. Foster
was witness before the Senate con, =.
mittee investigating the steel industry
/ he largely repudiatPd these doctrines.
Some Of u ! still believe in: some
Of IL l don't" he answered when nor
tions Of the book were read to him.
Pressed to indicate what portions these
were in which he believed. he answered |:
II don't believe / would defend any
Of it," He explained finally that the
book had been written eight or nine
years before, and that since then he
had become considerably less ex-
treme."
To-day am on advocate Of the sys-
tenn Of unioniSm as advocated in Amer
ica and England, That applies TO
everything in the book.
In his present book Mr.. Foster quotes
passage from another work Of his
issued some years after 'SyndiCalism"
was published. This is "Trndc l'ninu
ism; The Road to Freedom" He
quotes from this book in cxcmplication
of his ideas at the present time tn
prove that he has held them consist
emily. He says:
.'It is idle to say that trade unions
will rest contest with anything short
Of actual emancipation. With
it's growing power organized labor will
70 on winning greater and greater con =
cessions, regardless of how profound
they may be. 1t is purest assumption
10 state that the trade unions would
balk at ending the wages system.
Mr. Foster still advocates ending the
wages system, which means to a greater
or lesser extent putting the means OF
Production in the hands of the work
srs.
ing at present as to the means Of bring
ing about this basic change in the eco
nomic system. except to praise the
methods of the English labor unions.
He has dropped the extravagnnt Syndi-
calist theory Of the means. but has re-
tanned the end which he then held de-
sirable.
Warns Of Another Strike
The British unions for two years
have been talking about boOdlrSs po
litical revolution, having the same end
In view as that which Foster advocates.
1t may be fair inference, therefore,
though he does not say 40 In words
that he. too. advocates this method.
Mr.. Fosters latest book is issued
simultaneously almost with tho report
Of the Interchurch World Movement on
~-the steel strike. "t t,nlcsss, vital change.
arc brought to pass" said the report Of
the interchurch investigating commits
sion. referring to tho steel industry. "a
renewal of tho conflict in this industry
seems inevitable. The conviction has
grown upon this commission that II
should not fail TO recommend prac-
teal suggestion for peace in an industry
drifting toward unrestricted warfare. "
MIR. Foster secs another steel strike
threatening. lie believes il will come
in year or two When ii comes. he
sees it developing into great struggle,
which will align against tho steel mills
the mine and rail workers OF the coun
try. .;
In his chapter on Past Mistakes and
Future Problems" Mr.. Foster sums
iup some of the reasons for the failur,
of the steel strike and makes some
guesses as to the future course Of the
workers in this industry. lie says;
In preceding chapters ! hsv" said
much about the injustiCes visited IIpon
the steel workers by the steel com
NAMES and their minionS the MAYORS
burgesses, police magistrates, gun
men, state rolice, Senate commuters
etc. But let there be no mistake |
= do not blame the failure Of rhr strike
upon these factors. ! Dut the .esuon.
ability upon the shoulders " organ.
ixed labor. Had II but stirred a l.trIe
the steel workers would have won
their battle, despite all the steel
trust could do 10 prevent IT,
BY this I mean no harsh criticism
On the contrary, ! am tho inyt 10
assert that the effort put forth in the
steel campaign was wundt rfuI far
surpasainR anything ever done In the
industry before and marking Il 'rc-
rnendouS advance in trade union tnC-
ties. Yet II was not enough and ii
vaxNrasafited only a frHCtiOn Of the
power the unions should and could
have thrown into the fight
But more than men and money, the
steel workers In the Errnt fight lacked
related trades. In their semOrgan.
ised condition they were unable 70
Withstand alone the terrific power of
the steel trust, backed by the mighty
capitalistic OF ganiZatiOns VIII ich rushed
10 its aid They needed from their
organized fellow workers help in the
same liberal measure ns MIR Gary
received from those on his own side
And help adequate TO the task could
have cone only by extending the
strike beyond the confines Of the stool
\ industry proper.
WA. taYNu md al