Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-05-23
THERE CAN BE NO PEACE
WITHOUT MUTUAL TRUST
The New ''shop Committee" Plan Of the
Pennsylvania Railroad VIII Work
Only II II 10 Entered On In
Good Faith

Pennsylvania Railroad VIII Work
Only n II 10 Entered On In
Good Faith
A LII large employers Of labor, whether
"A they be railroad men or not, will watch
with deep interest the workings of the plan
for bringing about a better underste nding
between the men who pay wages and the
men who receive them which the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Company is about to put
into effect.
The company has a joint reviewing com
mittee which deals with all grievances OF
the engineers and the trainmen; that is,
with all the men engaged in the operation
OF trains. This committee Is not to be dis
turbed. 1t is to be supplemented by com
mittees composed Of representatives Of the
other employees, who will confer with the
officers OF the company with view to the
establishment Of harmonious relations. The
representatives Of the employees, however,
must be employees themselves. The plan, in
brief, involves the application OF the shop
committee system to the railroad. 1t is
based on the right of an employe to have
voice in determining the rules and regu-
lations under which he works.
In the statement given out by General
Atterbury explaining the plan il is said
that 1t Is superior to the plan of national
agreements" entered into during the war,
because that plan took away from the en-
ployes Of the Pennsylvania system the right
to have voice in determining the condi-
tions OF their employment and because 1t
took away from the officers Of the system
the privilege Of dealing with the employees.
General Atterbury has been at consider
able pains to make il clear that the rights
Of the union men will be recognized. The
RI fhair cot
by secret ballot so that there may be no
moral coercion. There can be no reasonable
objection to this. II members Of unions are
chosen they will be recognized as the choice
Of the men who voted for them. II nom
union men are chosen on the committees they
will have just as good standing as though
they we're members Of a union.
A pledge Is made, the significance of which
will be appreciated by every one familiar
with the history Of grievance committees.
Members of such committees have in the
past found that 1t was not safe to demand
a change in the conditions Of employment,
for IL frequently happened that the members
of the committees were discharged on some
preteIt within a few weeks after they made
their protest. But General Atterbury an
nounces that the representatives will be
protected in their position, no matter what
may be their attitude with reference to the
provisions OF the rules and regulations.
And, in addition, he says that they will be
provided with necessary transportation. that
their wages will be paid while they are ab-
sent from work and that a reasonable allow
ance will be made for their expenses.
This plan will work only If it is entered on
in perfect good faith by both sides. There
must not only be good faith. but there must
be confidence in the sincerity Of both sides
There is an unfortunate disposition on the
part of working men to mistrust their EN-
ployers in all dealings affecting wages and
conditions Of work. The employees suspect
the employers of trying to put something
over on them. And it must be admitted that
there have been employers whose conduct
has justified this suspicion. 1t can be al
layed only by absolute frankness and by a
manifestation Of a spirit of fair play. On
the other hand, the workers have not been
wholly guiltless. for they have done their
best to put something over on their en-
ployers. Neither side has taken a broad
view Of the situation, but each has fought
for what it regarded as its own interests.
It is now admitted that, in the railroad
business at any rate. the interest of the
public is supreme. The railroads exist to
give the people the best possible transporta-
ton service at the lowest possible cost
The wages Of the men, the salaries Of the
officers and the interest on the capital in
vested are vital elements in the cost
The new Pennsylvania plan seems to be
based on a desire of tho officers that they
and the men should get together to consider
how best they can serve the public If tins
thought can be kept in mind during all the
negotiations 1t ought to be easy to adjust
all differences and TO preserve industriaI
peace.
Whether the men who have formulated the
program are conscious of it or not we do not
know, but it might have been proposed by
psychologist familiar with human nature.
The great grievance of labor at the present
time is that IL thinks 1t receives less con
siderate treatment than is given to ma
chine. 1t feels cramped and confined. 1t
is seeking what has been called release of
the spirit II wishes to be free agent.
as free as any one can be in a world in
which we all have to make concessions to
others. This sort of freedom has been Sc
cured for the employees Of the p. r. Il.
under the Mitten plan, and as a result there
has been no strike for years. Only few
weeks ago the men agreed to a reduction in
wages because the reduction was called for
according to the rule agreed upon for fixing
the wage scale II this can become general,
the grave economic waste of strikes will be
avoided and content will take the place Of