The Washington herald., 1920-11-20
Hoover Tells Engineers Of Labor Problems
Says Cooperation Key to Industrial Peace

|ters, and ! believe Il would greatly
advance an understandings Of the
cause of labor. The conference did
not believe that Industrial conten-
ton could be cured by compulsory
arbitration or any other form of
governmental repression which
must In the end ultimately use the
jailH for enforcement. The princi-
Piles formulated by that conference
should have your renewed consio-
Grafton
Heart of Qsestions-
There are questions in connection
with this entire problem OF employer
and empioye Relationship. both in
its aspects OF increased production
! and in its aspects Of wasteful un-
employment, that deserve most caro-
full study by our engineers There
lies at The heart OF all these ques-
tions the great human conception
that this is a community working
for the benefit OF it's human mem
bers. not for the benefit of its ma
chimes or TO aggrandize individuals;
4 that IL We would build up character
and abilities and standard OF living
In our people, we must have regard
ITO their leisure for citizenship. for
1 recreation. for family life. These
considerations. together with pro-
lection against strain, must be the
fundamentals OF determination OF
hours of labor.
These factors being first prote L
ed. the maximum production Of the
country should become the dom
linat ng purpose. The precise hours
of labor should and will vary with
the varying conditions OF trades and
les 20 tah hut he
termination of hours. based upon
these factors, is an immediate field
demanding attention of engineers.
There is no greater economic
fallacy than the doctrine that the
decrease of hours below these pri'
mary considerations makes for en-
lployment of greater numbers, anc
ii is an equal certainty that the 81
hour week OF some employment
trangresses these fundamentals e
the point of inhumanity.
Method of Wage Payment.
There is a broad question bear
ling upon stimulation of seIf-interes
and thus increase in production tina
reyolves around the method Of waG'
payment. j need not review to yoI
the advantages, difficulties an'
weaknesses of bonus. piece work
iproft sharing or saving plans, tha
arc in use as a remedy for the dead
iening results Of the same wage pay
ment to good and bad skill. alike.
The suggestion ! wish to put 70
your consideration is the possibl
luse Of another device in encourage
ment of individual interest and ef
fort by creating two or three level
of wage in agreements for oacl
trade, the position Of each man u
, such scale TO be based upon com
paratiVe skill and character.
; This plan should be DEVELOPS
upon the principle OF extra grsde'
compensation for added skill ant
performance, above an agreed oasl'
wage. In order to give confidence
the class fication under such scale
must be passed upon by representa-
tiyes of the workers in each shop o
department This plan is now beinI
successfully experimental with.
Creative Instinct.
We must take account Of tn
? tendencies of our present repetitiV'
| industries to eliminate the creatiy'
> instinct in its workers, TO marrow
, their field Of craftsmanship. to dis
, card entirely the contribution TO IN
dustry tat could be had from thei
m. nds as well as from their hands
Indeed. If we are to secure the de
; velopment of our people, We canno
. permit .he dulling OF these sensl
bilities Indeed. VIC cannot accom-
plish increased production withou
/ their stimulation
Here again We cannot make al
advance unless we can secure coop
: Grafton between the employer an
employc. In large Industry thi
4 mutuality of interest that eXiste'
( in small units cannot be restored
: without definite organization
= shop Committees
There has been a great increas
! in shop committees as a method O
such organization. Where the
have been elected by free and secre
ballot amongst the workers, wher
they are dominated by genuine dc
a sire on both sides for mutual CO
= operation in the shop, they hav
q resulted in great good. One OF tn
p most important phases OF that goo
r has been the tendency to turn tn
aspect Of some foremen from tha
+. OF slave-driving to leadership.
- And a great good has been pos
= siblr by the encouragement of mel
/ to creative effort, in the stimulation
$ OF their minds as well as the,
: hands 10 the solution OF these prob
lens. 1t makes for pride of crafts
/ manship and is a real effort to of
d fer them an opportunity OF self-eN
: precision.
' organized labor has oppose