The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1920-02-19

president of American SmeltlnS n Ike
hning company, in Engineering and
Mining JournaD.
THE strike proved that this is a
really democratic country where pub
lie opinion must prevail. Prus-
sianism in the Industrial and econom-
ic world must not prevail
The nation means to be strong, firm
and just but always master. Lloyd
George, October, 1919.
Premier Lloyd George has stated
the case clearly and concisely. The
nation is master. and both the en-
ploye and employer must recognize
this basic principle. Nothing that is
contrary 10 the general welfare of the
nation can be tolerated. 1t is certain
that the domination of the country by
any single class is not for the nations
welfare, and therefore both the en-
ployer and employee must realize that
they are lesser than the state and can
not be permitted to dictate to it,
Prior to the era Of the use of steam,
and later electricity, the employer
and his employees worked together at
their tasks They were often mem
bers of the same family, and. if not
related by blood, had common inter-
ests and ties which made them feei
close to each other. Gradually, be-
cause of Inventions business became
organized first on a partnership and
later on a corporation basis, so that
the employer no longer was in intim-
ate contact with the employe. In
fact. this was carried to such an eN-
tent that by the last decades Of the
nineteenth century the owner of the
business did not come in contact with
the employee only through their rep
resentatives, who were dependent for
their opportunities upon the central
management Of the owners, and not /
in any way upon the good will of the |
employee.
Effect of the Organization of Large
Industrial Units.
The natural result of this increased
Capitalization Of business manage r
ment was twofold: First the en-
ployers became so powerful as to
threaten the civil government itself,
and, second. this power did not give
a fair opportunity to the employe in I
his bargaining for wages. Public
opinion realized this danger before it
went to the fullest extreme, and
through legislation provided for the
curtailment of organized capitals
power so far as it affected the politi-
cal domination of the country and
by public opinion, labor
began to organize itself into unions
to combat the powerful employer on
more nearly equal terms Public
opinion continued to put a check up
on the Over-reaching ambition Of the
employer, with the result that the
employee by the first decade of the
twentieth century came to have an
important voice in deciding his work
ing conditions. A large number of
employers felt this force of public
opinion almost ct - ,>coption-in 7
fact some were among the leaders G
who helped mold public opinion to- l
ward the liberal view. 1t was soon !
seen that many of the employers met J
he public viewpoint more than half
way, and of their own accord started T
20 put their houses in order. g
War Created Rising Labor Market e
In 1914 the war stimulated indus g
ry in this country and demands a
we're made for increasing production. ~
This. in connection with natural
of the supply Of labor, C
'reated a scarcity and gave even more @
power to the employee in bargaining r
or wages and working conditions. "
during the years we were n
n the war this condition was inten-
flied by the withdrawal from normal a
Industry of millions of men for the p
Imy and navy and special indus fl
RES. such as munition works and d
ther war activities, still the appeal Il
@ patriotism was made to both sides, p
nd on the whole that appeal was not al
n vain.
After the armistice was signed it
ecame evident that labor on its part 81
vas in danger of trying to become
ictatorial and autocratic. and again
ubHc opinion is arising and clearly F
that the people Of the
ountry viii not permit the domino F
ion of any group.
This feeling must be translated in F
D law, with due regard to both sides
f the question, so that we will not p
@ constantly in the thrOes Of action
nd reaction and so that the pendulum FL
-in be kept within its proper limits
his is the problem now before con-
ress. and it must be guided by the tn
principle that equal OPP Iii
ortunities must be had by all; that
n industry that can not pay a living er
age should not exist and that all ye
ldustries must pay this wage; that II
abor is entitled to its share Of any in
nusual profits; that all men and m
omen within the boundaries of the an
nited States must he thoroughly er
and made to realize and pr
llue American principles. sh