Evening star., 1920-02-24
BY RAY STANNARD BAKER
Article XVII

To many people the new shop
council and cooperative system for
dealing with problems of labor seem
like revolutionary innovation
transformations too sudden to be
sound. AS a matter of fact, the prep
aration which preceded the intro
duction of the new system. while
quiet, has been substantial and
thorough. The changes appear sud
den in many cases because they were
precpitated, perhaps little before
industry in general was quite ready
to accept them, by the exlgencies OF
the war and of reconstruction.
In this article l wish to give some
glimpSes of the background of the
new movement-show something of
the preparation for it A develop
ment which finds such swift accept
ance in the three principal industrial
nations of the world-ireat Britain
Germany and the United Statess-must
have behind it a solid body of con-
viCtion.
past to consider only three groups as
vitality concerned in industry-the
employer-capitalist. the worker and
the public. But very quietly in the
last fifteen years fourth group has
been rising in Importance, especially
members of this group do not belong
strictly to the employer class. nor
yet to the working class, nor do they
stand aside like the public They be-
long to the new profession OF man
agement; they are experts in scien-
tific production or experts in dealing
with labor.
New Class Ii Created.
AS long as industry was small and
and worker was close and personal
the labor question was of relative
unimportance. but with the growth of
great industry the owner-employer
was separated farther and farther
from the actual functions Of man
superintendent and foremen as con-
Meeting links between the owner and
the worker. AS time passed these
men have grown more and more i'm
portant to industry, for it is upon
their skill. knowledge and tact that
really rests. In most of the greater
industries in America today the
r-employer-capita lives in
some more or less distant city; he
handles problems of financing. sales
manship, advertising, and leaves the
actual operation of the mill or fac
tory largely to the managers.
These managers are thus men not
primarily interested in profits-for
they do not usually get the profits
they make-but in production. in eff
cheney, in the process itself: so they
have begun more and more to develop
professional spirit toward their
work.
Perhaps no recent movement in our
educational life has been more no.
table than the rapid development of
schools Of business engineering
schools in which the principles of
management are studied and taught.
Many of the great universities and
technical collegeS-Harvard, Dart
mouth. Wisconsin, Chicago. Illinois,
New York and many others specialize
in these lines. Drexel Institute, in
Philadelphia, for example. maintains
a school especially for training fore
men.
Now Firmly Intrenched.
A great new impetus toward a profess
sional rather than mere profit making
attitude toward industry was given by
F. w. Taylor a dozen years ago in his
compaign for scientific MANAGEMENT.
Other movements. like the study of
safety engineering. profit sharing.
vocational guidance. the sanitation
and housing of workers. the develop
ment of psychological tests for en-
ployment-the whole great trend to-
ward vocational and technical edu-
cation-have all helped in stimulating
this new professional spirit
Management is thus coming to rank
as a profession, as Webster's diction-
ary we'll defines the term-"a calling
in which a man uses his knowledge
for instructing. guiding or advising
others or of serving them in some
art" Here the ideas Of education and
service. not of profit, come upper
most, and this is the true attitude of
the npuy nrofeSSiOn
l speak of this broad development
which is now firmly internched in
America, with it's regular publica-
tions. it's societies and organizations,
in order to make clearer the relative
place Of the labor manager and labor
management, which as newer part
Of the general movement is coming
to occupy a most important place in
our industrial life.
AS an indication Of the extent Of
the development. the annual conven-
tion of the new National Association
G919) at Cleveland was attended by
1.006 delegates from every section of
the country. 1t was so large a gath
ering that two banquets had to be
held to accommodate all the m members.
Pioneers of New Era.
The significance of this new move
ment can hardly be exaggerated, for
it means a right-about-face in the at
titude of our industries toward labor.
From being the least considered of
the elements that enter into produc-
ton it becomes the most considered.
A. H. Young, labor manager for
the International Harvester Company.
one of the pioneers in the movement,
speaks of the members of the new