The Washington times., 1920-08-30
UNREST CALLS
'CHURCHT0ACT
"SouIs Of Men Stirring" Says
Protestant Council-Sug-
! gests Remedies.

NEW YORK, Aug. 30.-Asserting
that the present Industrial unrest sis
not simply the rumbling OF empty
stomachs. but the stirring OF the soul
OF man." the committee on the war
and the religious outlook appointed
by the Federated Council OF the
Churches OF Christ In America has
made public a lengthy report OF
it's survey OF the religious and indus
trial condition OF the country.
The report, which is signed by more
than thirty leaders OF various Protest
ant denominations, has been In pro-
cess OF preparation ever since the
close OF the war. 1t was made public
by the Rev. Samuel McCrea Cayert,
associate secretary of the council.
MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS.
A more equal distribution OF wealth
In order to stimulate production; bet
ter social conditions for workers;
recognition of the right of workers TO
regulate their hours of labor; restrlc-
ton OF child labor; protection for
women in industry, and "the guar
anteeing of democratic rights to those
who are seeking social changes, are
some of the committees recommends
tions.
ITO repress honest dissent is to i'm
peril orderly social progress" says
the report. Upon the classes that
are most powerful, therefore, there
rests a special responsibility. When
there are so manY unchristian aspects
OF our industrial order, who must
guard against a too rigid orthodoxy
in defending the status quo, we can
not afford to allow sincere criticism
of the evils OF our present economic
life to be identified with treason or to
put the critic in peril of prison bars"
CHURCH's BIG OPPORTUNITY.
The report, which contains 296
printed pages, says that sthe indus
trial unrest and uncertainty OF the
period following the world war bring
to the Christian Church an imperative
summons and a boundless opportu-
nifty" 1t then proceeds: This new
attitude gives the church her oppor-
tunity to be heard in industrial ques-
tions. If these had to do simply with
the length of time a man should work
and the amount he should be paid for
il the church might conceivably hold
aloof, but IL hours and wages are SIM
ply symbols of spiritual realities, like
leisure and opportunity and influence.
and If, in and through the conflict for
material goods, a spiritual struggle
Is going on, then the church has not
only the right but the duty to inter-
vene. For she claims to have mes
sage to the spirit of man as man, and,
IL her claim is justified, we should ex-
pect to find men turning to her Tor
help"
AWealth is described in the report
as IA means to the enhancement Of
personality" but it adds, great for
tunes are a moral peril. obscuring the
supremacy of personal values and en-
dangering the spirit of brotherhood
WOULD PROTECT WORKER.
Statistics are cited to show that
the personality of hosts of workers is
dwarfed by involuntary unemploy-
ment, by Inadequate income and in
adequate leisure. Concerning unem-
ployment, the report says: I'VE may
not like to have it put in such ugly
words, but 1T is actually the case
that workers are frequently tossed
aside when occasion arises. like other
useless parts of a machine.
while we have made careful pro-
vision for protecting property rights
we have done little to protect the hu-
man right to opportunity for continu-
Gus maintenance through steady
work
The conclusion as to wage is that
"the evidence that great numbers of
workers received wages insufficient
to afford the material environment
needed as the basis for 1.-The good
life", is so convincing as not to be
open to question and foPbids any easy
optimism as to economic justice"
AS to hours of work. it says that "in
spite of the shortened day in many
quarters, even the 12-hour day still
exists in much of the steel industry
and the 7-day week Is widespread In
many other industries"
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.
Discussing it's plans for "a more
democratic organization of industry
the report holds that collective bar
raining is a first step in that direc-
ton, it adds:
For workers to be unorganized In
n highly organized corporation, which
is itself a union OF capital, means that
they are practically impotent to bet
ter their conditions. The right Of the
workers to organize and bargain COL
lectively is at present an elementary
means OF self-protection. Voluntary
arbitration of strikes is commended,
but not compulsory arbitration Col
lective bargaining Is not accepted,
however, as any final solution, be-
cause 1t generally lacks a spirit Of
genuine cooperation in service"