Omaha daily bee., 1921-05-21
Workers Control" Gaining
Industrial Conditions in Europe
Yield to the NeW Movement
(From the Boston Transcript

| throughout WOrlQ the movement LOT par
| ticipaton OF employees, to greater or less de-
| gree, in the management and direction of indus
| try, is gaining ground A publication from the
international labor Office, recently received in
| this country, quotes the report of the Italian
| Chamber of Deputies when the workers control
| bill was introduced last February, as describing
| how workers control OF industry had been in
| sttuted by law in Austria in 1915; in Germany in
| 1920 and in England by means of the Whitley
| councils. Even in Norway, there will shortly be
in operation works councils, district councils, and
supreme council of industry and commerce rep
resenting both workers and employers, whose
duty it will be to stimulate production and regu-
late the progress of industry"
This development is being accomplished not
without violent change or the threat of it. As is
well known, the seizure by the metal trades
workers in Italy of certain large factories last
summer was the direct occasion for the present
legislation IN that country But it is mistake
to suppose that all representatives of labor are
enthusiastically in favor of the pending propos-
ais, The extreme left says bluntly that the min
isterial bill will satisfy no one. The secretary
of the General Confederation of Labor is quoted
as saying that the bill will hamper production
instead OF assisting it; the journals of the
Catholic party assert that control without profit
sharing can not satisfy the masses On paper,
the controversy is as hot and furious as it was
last summer in the factories
For the employers, the most violent opposi-
the Milan Chamber of Commerce and of several
employers associations, which declared ina re-
cent issue: The bill for trade union control
OF industries IS not the natural result of In
economic situation demanding new measures, but
the sad expcdicnt of an opportunist government,
which despses legal methods and has been un-
able or unwilling to withstand a gust of suicidal
folly"
The international labor office has performed
distinct service IN bringing together these vary
ing views, together with the documents present
ing the proposals of the different parties to the
controversy; OF interest as showing to what
length employers are willing to go to meet the
demands of the workers is the following list of
suggested duties for each industrial commission
of control:
l. The regulation and control of wages, hours
and general conditions Of labor in the industry in
relation to the cost of living
z. The improvement of the hygienc cond-
tons OF the workers
3. The compilation of statistics and returns
concerning the supply OF raw materials.
4. The consideration OF economic and hnan-
clal questions concerning the industry (customs,
point of view OF demand and of the supply of
raw material, selling price, exchange, credit
rates. taxes, etc., '
5. The encouragement of the study of indus
trial development and of scientific research with
view to the improvement OF industrial
processes.
6. The tabulation Of statistics concerning the
progress of industry and the development OF pro-
duction.
T. The administration of laws for social in
surance accident, sickness, old age. uncmploy-
ment and all the laws of the same nature which
may in future be enacted
g. Cooperation with the competent authori-
ties in the organization of vocational nstruc-
ton.
g. Cooperation with commissions of control
in other branches of industry for the solution of
problems of common interest
These are to be the duties OF each commission
OF control, composed in equal numbers of repre-
sentatives of employers and workers, manual and
otherwise. The object of control, declare the
employers, should be knowledge. of the posi-
ton Of given industry" with the ultimate end
of facilitating good relations between employer
and employees "as well as their common action
for the development OF industry, the vital source
of national life"
Should it turn out that Control" in Italy fol-
lows this line, there will be few to dispute its
value, i