Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-01-02
BY RAY STANNARD BAKER.
Article III.

BY RAY STANNARD BAKER.
Article II.
| 1t is important if we are really t,
understand the tremendous problem
of industrial unrest which now con.
fronts America, to understand how
it looks from above to the emplover
In my next article l shall describs
the workers point of view. In
studying the employer l shall use
the explanatory example of Gary
Indiana.
1t is much easier to get at the
point Of view of the employer in the
steel industry than it is to get at the
point of view of the workers for it is
quite definitely the expression of one
man-Judge Gary, the head of the
United States Steel corporation. l,
is a clear-cut, far-sighted. logically
expressed point of view, whereas the
voice of the workers is confused and
yague-a multitudinous murmur, as
diverse as Babel, with as many opln-
ions as town meeting. Be as con
scientious as you ike in making
your inquiries end you are never
sure you have got it all. Judge GARY
knows exactly what he wants; the
workers are. profoundly restless.
without any one clear idea of what
they want. Not only ignorance AMI
fcreignness, but real differences of
view, divide and confuse them. Judge
Garys position is based upon expert
ence and tradition, but the workers
want something new; they are press
ing forward into an undiscovered
country. Judge Gary, representing
the group having power and place.
desires security; the workers, hav-
ing neither, want change.
There are, indeed, other voices,
end powerful counter-currents
among employers in American in
dustry-even in the steel industry,
as | shall show later. John D. Rock
efeller, jr., and Charles NJ. Schwab
are far from seeing eye to eye with
Judge Gary. Nevertheless, in the
present controversy. Judge Gary is
the type-defender, the accepted
spokesman of the entire industry.
No other important witness repre-
sentlng the employing side of the
steel industry was heard by the
senate committee. His stand has
been supported by the Iron and
Steel institute, which represents the
entire steel industry in America. He
has been commended for his posi-
ton by ]. P. Morgan, the most
powerful fnancier in America Even
some of the strong men N the steel
industry who have differed sharply
with Judge Gary in regard to his
policies have in this emergency
come to his support. l have a copy
OF letter from a steel master con-
nected with an independent COM
pany, in which he says:
"At the greatest persona, sacri-
fee, both in friendship and in money,
Tor the past Is years, l have waged
an unceasing warfare against the
steel corporation on the question of
the seven-day week, the 12-hour day
and the autocratic methods of deal
ing with workmen, but in the pres
ent struggle my sympathics are en-
tirely with Judge Gary"
A Struggle for Control.
Boiled down, the position Of this
steel master is that the present con-
flict is really a revolutionary strug
gle for the control of the steel in
dustry on the part of organized la
Dor; he is, therefore, with Judge
Gary. When the employers win this
strlke-as he believes they will
he is for beginning a harder fight
than ever against what he calls
these relics of Observation-Disclosures
ing the l2-hour day, the seven-day
week and the refusal to permit
workmen to organize and bargain
collectively. Indeed, in the company
ne represents. the men have been
to form company unions
and to make agreements regarding |
wages.
Judge Gary's leadership has been |
accepted by the entire steel industry
not alone because of the enormous |
power of the United States Steel |
corporation-the general policies of |
which must and do set the pace for |
the entire steel industry in Amer
ca-but because of his sheer ability.
It is not for nothing that he is at
the head of the greatest business
corporation in the world, with prop
,rty worth S2,250,0OO,00O (his own
1gures) and having 100000 en-
oloyes. He not only has this
.normous power, and is conscious
Of having it, but he knows with
penetrating clearness what he wants
% do with it. He is one of the
most extraordinary men in the
world today.
While | have good deal of au-
horlty and power" he told the sem
tic committee, II use the same very
l am in the habit of con-
Judge Gary the handspring.
No one who touches the steel in
lustry at any point fails to become
conscious of this pervasive author
ty. Though the power house may
'e distant, no one who makes a con-
act anywhere fails to get a shock.
had such an experience myself
which l tel! in no spirit of criticism,
tut merely to illuminate the point |
m making. When I went to the
ity Of Gary to look into the strike
ltuation | was as anxious to under
tand the point of view of the man
cement as I was that of the work
RS. So l asked quite directly if |
night see the mills and talk with
ONE of the superintendent and
bremen. They seemed astonished
nd referred me to the headquarters
+ the subsidiary corporation at
,hicago. So l went there and found
hat no observer had been allowed
0 enter the mills since the strike
egan and that it was impossible for
ny one to talk about the situation {
IL, fboyk 1.d~o C,~,,,, / 4