The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-06

William B. Dickson. vice-president of
the Midvale Steel and Ordnance Com
pany and former drst vice-presidsnt of
the United States Steel Corporation.
speaking last night before the American
Society of Mechanical Engineers. as
sailed the labor policy Of Judge 0arys
organization as. Numerically opposed
TO American Ideals" He declared It TO
be his belief that "the greatest task to
which American employers must address
themselves is the devising OF practical
ways in which labor can be given full
recognition as an equal partner"
The Carnegie labor policy" said Mr.
Dickson. was highly autocratic, and so
Is that of it's successor, the United
States Steel Corporation; q benevolent
autocracy. If you please. in many splen
did ways. although 1t still maintains
that relic of barbarism, the twelve hour
day. as well as some fairly large rem
nants Of the seven day week.
ANY manifestation of autocracy is
repugnant to the American people
whether 1t proceeds from a president Of
corporation. president Of a labor
Union or President Of the United
States
Mr.. Dickson described this autocratic
tendency as apparent In all the big in
dustries of the country, and included
the American Wooden Company within
the scope Of his criticism when he re-
marked that last summer the presi-
dent Of one Of our largest textile COM
panles announced that his mills would
close for an indefinite period. and they
were closed. In an arbitrary. autocratic
manner"
No step affecting the general welfare
OF any one Of the three hurfPan factors
In industry, Mr.. Dickson contended,
should be decided by any one OF them
alone. whether II be labor, capital or
management.
The speech was made at the fortieth
anniversary Of the Engineering Society.
held In the Engineering Societies Build
inf. Messages were read from Presi-
dent-elect Harding. Calvin Coolidge.
Herbert Hoover and Charles NJ Schwab.
taneously in thirty-two cities Of the
country. Samuel Gompers and J. Her
bert Case. acting governor of the Fed
eral Reserve Bank Of New York, also
addressed the meeting. which was pre-
sided over by Fred ]. Miller. president
OF the American Society Of Mechanical
Engineers.
ohHiuei IOTlperS IN his speech ana
Herbert Hoover In his message both
struck the same note. to the effect that
employers henceforth must apply the
same skill to the development Of the
human side Of employment as they have
in the past to the Improvement of ma
chimes and processes
The labor Of human being" said
Mr.. Gompers. rs not a commodity or
an article Of commerce. but 1t took the
organized power OF our labor organiza-
lions to secure recognition OF this prin-
ciple In law and practice.
Il see however, a great future before
the labor movement, as before tho engi-
neering profession, In the development
OF a kind of industry and kind of
work in which the man will not only
learn the processes Of production but
each day will have increasing opportu-
nifty to develop those human functions
which are essentially intelligent 1t Is
the deadly monotony OF specialized. re-
petitive work that IL at the root OF most
OF our troubles"
Mr.. Hoover said the part which engi-
neers could play In creating a sense OF
mutual responsibility between employer
and employee constitutes n step into a
field OF engineering that Is more funda-
mental to our material welfare than any
other issue before our country