Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-08

not be permitted to increase
this undesirable tendency. We
have a just pride in our great
cities, but we shall find a greater
pride in the nation, which has
larger distribution of it's popu-
lation into the country, where,
comparatively self sufficient
smaller communities may blend
AGRICULTURAL and manufacturing
interests in harmonious helpful
nees and enhanced good fortune.
Such a movement contemplates
no destruction of things
wrought, of investments made,
or wealth involved. 1t only looks
to a general policy Of transpor- +
tation of distributed industry
and of highway construction, to
encourage the spread OF our
population and restore the prop
er balance between city and
country. The problem may we'll
1have your earnest attention.
1t has been perhaps the proud
est claim of our American civil
cation that in dealing with hui
man relationships it has con-
stantly moved toward such JUS
tice in distributing the product
Of human energy that it has i'm
proved continuously the eco
nomic status Of the mass of peo-
pie. Ours has been a highly
productive social organization.
On the way up from the elemen-
tai stages of society we have
eliminated slavery and serfdom
and are now far on the way to
the elimination of poverty.
Through the eradication of il
literacy and the diffusion of edu-
cation mankind has reached
stage where we may fairly say
that in the United States equal
ity of opportunity has been at
tanned, though all are not pre-
pared to embrace it. There is,
indeed, a too great divergence
between the economic conditions
of the most and least favored
classes in the community. But
even that divergence has now
come to the point where we
bracket the very poor and the
very rich together as the least
fortunate classes. Our efforts
may we'll be directed to improv-
ing the status of both.
While this set of problems is
commonly comprehended under
the general phrase capital and
labor" it is really vastly broad
err. It is a question of, social
and economic organization. La
Dor has become a large con-
;fe tn
the stock Of capital; while the
people who own the largest in
dividual aggregates Of capital
are themselves often hard and
earnest laborers. Very often it
is extremely difficult to draw
the line of demarcation between
the two groups; to determine
whether Il particular individual
is entitled to be set down as
laborer or as capitalist. In a
/ very large proportion of cases,
he is both, and when he is both,
he is the most useful citizen.
Rights Are Defined
sThe right of labor to organ
ize is just as fundamental and
necessary as is the right of cap
ital to organize. The right of
labor to negotiate, to deal with
and solve it's particular problem
in organized way, through it's
chosen agents, is just as essen
tial as is the right of capital to
organize, to maintain corpora
tons, to limit the liabilities Of
stockholders. Indeed, we have
come to recognize that the linn
tied liability of the citizen as a
member of a labor organization
closely parallels the limitation
of liability of the citizen as a
stockholder in corporation for
profit. Along this line Of rea-
soning we shall make the great
est progress toward solving our
problem of capital and labor.
In the case of the cooperation
which enjoys the privilege Of
limited liability of stockholders,
particularly when engaged in the
public service, it is recognized
that the outside public has a.
large concern which must be
protected; and so we provide reg
X ulatiOnS, restrictions and in some
cases uSltl1Su NlSlOll. LINZ
wise, in the case of labor organi-
cations, we might well apply
similar and equally wellidef1ned
principles of regulation and SUI
pervision in order to conserve
the public's interests as affected
by their operations.
Just as it is not desirable that
a corporation shall be allowed to
impose undue eXactions upon the
public, SO it is not desirable that
a labor organization shall be per-
mitted to exact unfair terms of
employment or subject the public
to actual distresses in order to
enforce it's terms. Finally, just
as we are earnestly seeking for
procedures whereby to adjust
and settle the differences be-
tween organized capital and or
ganized labor without resort to
those forms of warfare which
are recognized under the name
of strikes, lockouts, boycotts and
the like.
Suggests Conferences
AS we have great bodies of law
carefully regulating the Organl-
zation and operations of indus
trial and financial corporations,
as we have treaties and compacts
among nations which look to the
settlement of differences without
the conflict in arms, SO we
might we'll have plans of confer
ence, of common counsel, or
mediation, arbitration and jul
dicial determination in contro-
versies between labor al. capt.
tai. To accomplish this would
involve the necessity to develop
thorough-going code of .prac-
tice in dealing with such affairs.
It might be well to frankly set
forth the superior interest of
the community as a whole to
either the labor group or the
capital group. With rights, priv
ileges, immunities and modes of
organization thus carefully de-
fined, it should be possible to
set up judicial or quasi-judicial
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