Omaha daily bee., 1920-02-27

of the steel workers in the recent
strike was for abolition of COM
pany unions" There is danger in
every case where the system is put
in" by the employers he would
put in a new machine-without EN-
couraging a firm and independent
organization of the workers. There
can be real cooperation only where
the co-operators both have the sense
of being free. Good will must be
reciprocal; it can never be all on
one side. Lknow of employers who
have put in various forms of well
fare work with a real intent to ex-
press their good will and have been
tragically disappointed when it
evoked no return; but good will
comes not out of gifts, but out of
association. 1t is for this reason
that the best example of the devel-
opment of the whole idea is in the
mems clothing trades Gas I have
already described) in which both
sides are firmly organized and ap-
proach each other face to face as
"Pot"uihS equals.
Must Be Open Diplomacy.
There must also be open d.
plomacy between the co-operators;
there is nothing that SO allays sus-
picion and feeds the spirit of COM
mon effort as frankness in taking
the workers into full confidence.
Real publicity-which is simple
truth telling-would solve a large
proportion of the ills the world now
suffers from.
One/great value of the new sys-
tenn is that it must more and more
set up standards of employment
for once the old basis of employ
ment, in which labor is a purchase
able commodity is shaken, new
methods Of determining standards
of work, standards of living, stand
ards of pay, must be devised. In
the clothing industry research bu-
reaus have already been established
by both employers and workers and
the work of investigation has be-
gun; but probably most of this task
will eventually have to be done by
outside. impartial government agen-
cies.
Law for Industry.
Another important development
perhaps the most important of all
lis the gradual upbuilding of
common law for industry, through
the recurring decisions of shop
councils and boards of arbitration.
Industrial democracy is thus emery
ing just as did political democracy
through steady accretion of prin-
ciples of control and adjustments,
a veritable common law.
Dean ]. H, Wigmore of the
Northwestern University Law
school, in commenting upon this
growth of law in the clothing
trades of Chicago has this to say:
THE significant thing is that gen.
eral principles are beginning to be
formulated. And the moment you
have general principles, used for de-
Gliding particular cases, you have
justice in the form of law, as dis
tinguished from the arbitrary JUS
tice of a Turkish caliph, or from
private struggle decided by private
force.
Industrial controversy will be-
come as justihable as property con-
troversy. And a new field will have
been gained for systematic JUS
tice." ....
Renewed Interest in Education.
Another tendency apparent in the
new movement is renewed interest
in education. Just as a great wave OF
educational enthusiasm, which found
its best expression in the common
school system Of America, followed
the introduction of real political
democracy, SO wave of new kind
of education is coming in with the
of industrial democracy.
Autocracy thrives upon ignorance,
as it does today in the steel indus
try; but education is the very life
blood of democracy. In every case
where the new system has been
genuinely introduced there is tre-
urge toward classes, clubs,
schools. Both employers and work
ers are interested. The Amalga-
mated Clothing Workers have reg
ular department of education, and
the shop school or the training class
is feature of these new movements.
For with goodwill comes a new
loyalty to the shop or mill. That
new loyalty tends to reduce the Ia
bore turnover and make for steadier
employment, and steadier employ
ment means the opportunity and the
encouragement for better training
of the workers. I can only touch
upon this important subject here; it
deserves an entire article.
One other point is of great import.
ance-the support of public opinion
in demanding that the two parties