Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-14
How Cleveland
Treats Labor
Nv Frederic J. Haskin.

its numerous plans Tor supar-coatIng,
not actually solving, the labor problem.
SO many different schemes for making
workers contentcd and happy have been
nut into practice in its factories, that
Cleveland has become virtually working
laboratory of industrial management
As such, It is visited and inspecte by EN-,
Movers and students of economies IRON all
parts Of the country.
The movement for better industrial
conditions really started here before the
war, and has been ginning rapid fnomeii-
tIm ever since, so that now II - poor
dav in Cleveland which does not produce
some new kind Of factory cooperation
or bring n new employer To the progressive
ranks. That there Is still a large confcr-
vative contingent which shows no dis.
position 10 break away from the old
mas tcr and-man methods Cleveland does
not DENY, but il il able to point with Just
pride 10 o group of at least three hundred
manufacturing concerns that ere dong
a lot more for their employees than sim
ply paying them their wages.
This group of Cleveland employers ls
most astonishing They fairly take away
ones breath. They tell you with amazing
frankncss that the efnpioye IS JUSTIFIED IN
kicking that he has not been given tho
kind Of deal he ought to have had, and
that the present existence oi an acute
| labor problem il more the fault oil the
employers than the employees. Bellev-
ina this. these men are doing all in their
power TO remedy this fault, TO gain the
confidence OF their employees end 70
lift factory work above mere toll and
drudgcry.
rmPLorEs nrrnEsENTED.
For example. one of the chief features
OF their new industrial religion is en-
ployes' representation. THIS exists IN
nearly every Cleveland factory of the
modern variety. but in no two factories -
| it exactly alike. The most comprehensive
| Of these working models is a plan devised
| by John Ieitoh when he was a citizen
| oi Cleveland, which he called industrial
democracy 1t is an exact copy Of the
/ United States Government shaped and
prrincd into factory form. There ls
| house of represcn tatives, elected by the
employees, a senate composed, usually, OF
/ the department heads; cabinet con-
sisting of the higher factory executives; a
supreme court to keep congress IN line
with the shop constitution: and presi-
| dent, who is the head Of the concern. As
| representatives IN congress, the employees
| naturally have fun share IN the business
of fixing working hours, wages, and work
ing conditions.
Variations of this theme are found in
| many Cleveland factories, sometimes
minus one Of the upper bodies. and some
times minus the presidents veto power.
| Occasionally employees mass meetings
take the place of the house Of representa-
tives. and IN one or two instances plan
ming board has been substituted for the
| I.r al has nHaafn6
the scheme Of holding a opular refcren-
DUN at the end Of each year to decide
whether the system In use shall be con-
tinued or rejected for another
In sthl other factories the employees are
represented by shop committees which
have the privilege Of stating their views on
everything pertaining 20 the relations
between the employees and the manage.
ment. While they do not in troduce any
laws, like the house of representa- tives
their words are listened 10 with respect
One large plant has q shop committee for
each depf tment which submits it, recon-
menda tons to the head of the depGrt-
ment or To the fac tory manager, i the
matter is sufficiently important. In
another large establishment the employees
are divided into three groups-foremen,
sub-foremen and committee OF workers.
These three groups, IN turn, meet and
choose the members OF welfare COM
mittce which deals directly with oil cues
tions arising between the employees and
the management
HELPED GARMENT WORKERS.
Perhaps the most striking employees
representation is found in the permanent
board OF arbitration maintained by the
Cleveland manufacture of women (:
/ a,,I The II. al n udfaG' { .ar.
ment Workers Union. This board ha;
succeeded for the first time IN the his tor!
of the garment trade in making the gar
ment industry permanent one instead
of seasonal one, with an annual wagt
for each class of workers, and a week :
vacation every year, with pay.
As result of this new movement foi
better industrial relations, also, the candy
manufacturers of Cleveland. of which
there are great many, have likewise de
cded to try to string their candy-maklns
along during the entire year. instead 0
rushing it through in couple Of seasons
The big seasons for candy are jus. befor,
Christmas and just before Easter, a
which periods the candy industry ha
always taken on large numbers OF EN-
ployes. only to let them 20 as the demand
slackened. Now many OF the cand,
manufacturers are making all OF tlel
hard candies during the slack season
thus retaining the majority OF thel
employees the year around.
That the movement for better labo
conditions has taken permanent root Il
Cleveland is shown by the attitude OF IN
local chamber of commerce, which has re
Gently issued report on Labor Relation
in Cleveland-A Declaration OF the Prin
ciples Establishing Proper Basis There
for" in which it holds these truths to b
self-evident:
AN INDUSTRIAL CREED.
THAT the prosperity of any communit
is dependent upon the success of its enter
prises. That the success of any enterprls
. in turn is largely dependent upon th
degree OF cooperation maintained betwee
employers, employees and investors, an
. upon the good will of the public. Further
more, that lack of cooperation in an
industry or establishment influences III
I favorably those industries and establish
ments where satisfactory labor relation
do exist.
! THAT while the law of supply and d,
I mand must inevitably influence wag
I rates, in fixing the rates of wages for bot
I men and women many additional factol
I should be taken into consideration
7 namely, the cost of living opportunity (
I advance the standard of living, saving
I loyalty, productivity--quality and quar-
I tity-intiative and individual skill, natul