The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1921-10-07
THE PRACTICAL
APPLICATION OF
A PRINCIPLE

"A PKlNClPLE
Recently trade-union official dis
cussed the so-called "open-shop"
problem before business mems, asso-
ciation He outlined the principles
involved and endeavored to give them
practical application.
He apparently made an impression
upon his audience for, after he had
finished, number of the business men
present gathered around to congrat-
ulate him, and to ask questions.
There was present in the group a
killojoy whose special gift seemed to
be faculty for positive statements
and hypothetical questions. Possess
ed of vigorous frame and a loud
rasping voice, he pushed his way
through the group until he grasped
the speakers hand and, after compli
menting him upon his analysis of the
principles involved in the industrial
problem and the method in which he
had applied them, the killjoy, who hap
pened to be well-known physician,
said:
"The trouble with your talk was
that you did not go far enough in ap-
plying your principles. There's one
important detail that you union men
have got to deal with before the pub
lie will have the confidence in you
which you claim you are entitled to.
Your union attempts to establish q
wage scale, and that may be all right.
What is all wrong is that you do not
classify your members and we have
to pay the union scale whether man
is competent or not.
''I'm building house now and some
of the men who are working on it are
Al mechanics; some can hardly drive
nail straight; some are faithful
workers and others spend most of
their time trying to hide from the
boss, and yet, under your union rules,
| have to pay the union scale to every
man | have working on the house
whether he is worth it or not.
"If you fellows expect public sup
port, one of the first things you will
have to do is to classify your mem
bers so that we will know when en-
ploying them whether they are in the
A-B-C or in the X-Y-Z class
''If you are unwilling to assume the
responsibility of classifying your
members you cannot expect us to have
confidence in your unions or when hir-
ing their members"
After having delivered himself OF
this little statement, the doctor threw
his head back and glanced around
among the group as much as to say:
''Well, guess I've got that fellow
sewed up for awhile" But the trade
union official was not inclined to lei
the matter drop, for the opportunity
was too good to be thrown away
In reply to the doctor he sad
There may be some academic merit
in what you have just said There
may perhaps be some reason in youl
position, but, this is a practical worlC
and we must deal with it's problems
in practical way
when a young man graduate:
from medical college, he receives {
diploma All of the diplomas arr
alike the poorest dub of a stu
dent who just gets through and th'
most brilliant scholar get the same
kind of diploma, which is an offcia
guarantee that it is safe for the com
munity to permit these individuals t,
practice medicine. After they hav,
received their diploma, they join tn,
medical association and this associa
tion assumes to have the highest o
ethical standards. The wage-earners
as well as others, have to go to thes
doctors when they are i'll, and ever.
time they go to doctor, they plac
their health, and frequently their life
in his hands.
Would it not be the most prope
thing in all fairness to those VIII
need doctors, for the medical associa
ton to classify its members so tina