Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-01-02
tives of the corporation at Chicago
and at Gary and to visit the mills.

tives of the corporation at Chicago
and at Gary and to visit the mills.
Wonderfully Disciplined.
But to remarkable degree thes,
men | talked with, and very abb,
men they are, echoed Judge Gary:
views: They would give facts, bu
would express no opinions whatever
OF their own. 1t is a wonderful,
disciplined organization that Judge
Gary has created. 1t speaks as one
man.
As to the attitude of the corpor,
alton toward labor-and I am trying
now to exhibit the industry fairly
as it looks from above-one of the
foremen at. Gary seemed to me to
strike kind of keynote:
Judge Gary" he said, Knows far
better what is good for these work
ingmen, mostly ignorant foreigners,
than they know themselves"
Let me develop this a little fur
Their from Judge Gary's own testi-
mony before the senate committee
AS | said, he knows his power.
Il recognize" he testified, that
the power of concentrated capital
necessarily involves the power to
do more or less harm. l recognize
the fact personally that concentra-
ted capital has the advantage over
a single individual, if the concentra-
ted capital is in the hands of dis
honest ard unfair ,nepD
This point of view leads directly
to the very heart of Judge Gary's
attitude toward labor. Recognizing
the power of concentrated capital
tor good or evil, he desires to do
good, as he sees the good. Abso-
lutte power is to remain in the hands
OF the employer-but the employer
must use it wisely and generously.
All his utterances-and like any man
who believes honestly and earnestly
in what he says, he has been a free
talker-all his utterances, and his
testimony before the senate commit
tee, resound with this doctrine.
The only way of combating and
overcoming that"-the "wave OF un-
rest in certain locations"-k. said to
the presidents Of the subsidiary
companies of the United States
Steel corporation on January q,
1919. lis for the employers, the
capitalists, those having the highest
education, the greatest power and
influence, to so manage their own
affairs that there will be left no lust
ground for criticism"
His Policy Stated.
A little later in the sare address
he discloses wildly his whole policy
toward the workers. This should he
read carefully:
Make the Steel corporation a
good place for them (the workers)
to work and live. Don't let the fami-
hes go hungry or cold; give them
Fairgrounds and parks and schools
and churches, pure water 70 drink.
every opportunity to keep clean,
places OF enjoyment, rest and recre-
alton. treating the whole thing as
2: business proposition; drawing the
line so that you are just and gener-
Gus and yet at the same time keep
ing your position and permitting
others to keep theirs, retaining the
control and management of your af-
salrs; keeping the whole thing in
your own hands, but nevertheless.
with due considerat ton to the rights
and interests of all others, who NAV
be affected by your management"
Ibis is the very bony structure of
his philosophy; and Judge Gary, is
one OF the rare men who has tried 70
practice all he breaches. The Steel
corporation has spent millions of
dollars IN various forms of welfare
SO interesting and so
'igni!hcant IN many ways-thc pre-
'entlon of accidents, the pension
system and the encouragement OF
stock ownership for the workers.
hat shall enlarge upon them in
another article. He has treated
ne whole thing as business propo-
;ition.' He told the students Of
Trinity college last June, 1T paws
zig, in dollars and cents. for the
Employer to maintain working con-
litlons which are beneficial to the
health and disposition of the en-
,loye."
He has also adhered with extra
ordinary singleness of purpose to |
he principle he lays down for his |
ubsldlary presidents of keeping
he whole thing in their own hands,
This principle forms, indeed, the |
'asis of his attitude toward union |
SIN in his plants and explains his |
efusal 10 meet or deal upon any
erms with representatives of organ |
zed labor. His logic is clear If
nee it is admitted that unionized |
Eorkmen may have any say regard
lg their conditions, the whole fabric
# his philosophy begins to crumble.
Judge Gary is not weak man, and
OF muddle-headed; he saw the is
ue from the very beginning, and
as never swervei in his course. He
as the immense advantage. as
eader, of a perfectly clear and
oglcal position, ard one concerning
'hich he is absolutely sure of him
elf. He believes it as one believes
religious dogma. He believes that
you let unionism begin anywhere.
will mean more and more power
the workers and finally the
closed shop" 1t is nothing to him
nat the strike leaders and Mr..
'ompers declare that the strike is
OF for CLOSED shop"-he will not
ave even the carePs head in the
mt. To him SUCH a change in the
led system which he knows, such
division of control even in one
apartment of the industry, not only
1reatens the power of the capitalist
mployer, but makes for confusion
nd lowered production. He cites
le EngliSh situation as an examnle