Evening star., 1920-01-18
LACK OF UNITY IS SEEN
INLABOR AND CAPITAL
No Undisputed Leadership on Either Side
What Gary and Gompers Stand
For In Working World.

| meet it with a really wonderful de-
velopment Of welfare work. safety de-
vices, housing, hospitals. pensions.
Fairgrounds and the, like. His cor
poration spent $17.00O.o0o in 1918 in
| these various activities. which hope
to describe more fully later, for they
are as fine an experiment as has any
where been made Of welfare work as
means for meeting industrial unrest
and exhibit both the strength and the
weakness Of that method.
Judge Gary's autocracy has been
benevolent: but it has been an utter
| autocracy. AS to the new spirit stir
! ring among the workers. especially
during and since the war. I think it
fair to say-judging by his own
speeches and testimony-that he has
never sensed it at all. He has done
much for the bodily comfort of his
men; of the soul of the modern work
err he seems never to have had a
glimpse.
Represents Conservative Group.
said that Gompers and the Amer
ican Federation of Labor represented the
most conservative labor body in the
world. Judge Gary represents the most
conservative group of employers. 1t is
only in the United States Steel Corpor-
alton. and in certain Independent steel
companies that the twelve-hour work
day and the seven-day week remain en-
entrcnched. There is no metallurgical
necessity for the long day; the eight
hour day has been introduced in Eng
land and in Germany; and in other in
dustries having continuous operation.
like the paper-pulp industry, the three |
shift system is the rule. Judge Gary is
also the last great bulwark against
labor unionism and collective bargain |
ing. Even in the steel industry, some |
Of the principal employers have clearly |
recognized that new human devices |
must be created to meet new human
needs. John D. Rockefeller, jr.. has
introduced company unions and shop |
committees in his Colorado steel
plants; and he has the eight-hour |
day. The Midvale Steel Company. one
of the great independents, also has
company union system-of which |
shall speak later.
OF course, one great source of Judge |
Gary's strength in his position as a |
leader is that he has made his policy |
pay and pay big. And this is a tre-
mendous argument anywhere in the
world. Here are the profits Of the |
corporation since 1914 after deducting
federal income taxes:
1914 .............,.......... ~. ~. .s75
ias15 .......-................ 1W. .s82. .016
1915 ........................s 800, 40. .476
WI .-......'.. '...s..............ss 1OS. .o00s ~
1913 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 167. So, ESQ
There have been dividends and ex-
ira dividends amounting on common |
stock in 1917 to per cent regular and |
13 per cent extra. And in 1918 to IA |
per cent. Large sums Of money have
gone into improvements of the prop
erty and into surplus.
Figures Are Produced.
Do not think that these profits es-
cape the eyes of the workers. They |
are published in all the labor papers. !
of introducing an eight-hour day |
makes it prohibitive these figures are
produced. One of the labor papers |
has a heading called Hidden News"
and into that column go the profit rec
ords of great employing corporations |
of all sorts. Here was an item pub |
lished last week:
1.-The Western Sugar Company has
declared an extra dividend Of 10 per |
cent in addition to the regular quar- |
terly dividend of TX per cent on the
common and preferred stocks"
1t is necessary. in trying to under
stand this problem of industrial un-
rest. to see how these things really |
look from below to the workers. We
must ask what the reaction is upon |
tens of thousands Of striking steel |
for better conditions when they read
these reports. of the profits of the steel
trust; or upon the same men, strug-
Cling with the high cost of living and
the shortage of sugar. when they see
the large profits of companies deal
ing in food. Get their point of view
for a moment! They feel powerful
resentment: they act upon the .infor- .
nation they have: no one tries to ex-
plain except the radical orators. Sup
pose we cut of the radical orators,
suppose we destroy the radical litera-
ture which assumes to interpret these
facts does that change the facts or
remove the causes of resentment? If
these profits and conditions are nee
essary or reasonable in industry, is
there not some way to explain it so
that the workers can understand?
have talked recently with a num-
ber Of employers. one of whom has
had a strike in his plant lasting for
| three months. 1t has nearly ruined
him and his business. The overhead
charges are eating him up. He told
M eloquently of the difficulties he
had to meet. the complexities and
hazards of his business. the competi-
i tive nature of his field of operations
! and of the utter unreasonableness, as
! he saw it. of his striking workers. r
was so much impressed with what he
| said that I asked:
Secuted Explanation.
! Isn't there some way that you
could explain your position to your
\ workers. or their leaders as Won