The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-20
GERMAN UNIONlSM
BULWARK AGAINST
COMMUNIST WILES
Resulting Stability Safe
guards Employers
And Men.
By GEORGE BERNHARD.
CEditor-in- Chief the Vossiscre Zeitupr,
Berlin


Berlin
BERLIN, Nov. 19.-Germany Of to-
day Is the country typical for social
tariff (wage scaleD contracts The
economic constitution is based entirely
on collective agreements between
the employers and workmen's orEani-
cations. crowned by the so-called
Working Communities. which are
equally composed and decide definite
ly all questions as to the future OF
the trades. Similar regulations existed
before the war. but were confirmed
during the wartime. and sanctioned
by the revolution.
Quarrels of many decades were nee
esssry before the German trades OBJ
tanned this base OF social peace. For
long rime. the employers OF most
trades refused TO discuss the labor
conditions in their own factories, not
with their own workmen. but with
unknown demagogs." Today, ample
experience shows that the employer
profits at the same time by the fact
that, in one and the same country,
the same conditions Of labor have
been adopted by the same kinds OF
trade, and that II is more useful to
negotiate with the legal advisers of
the workmen than with men per-
sonally demanding an increase OF
wages.
started With Printers.
1t is mainly to be attributed 70
the brilliant example given to the
other German trades by the German
printers that the idea of collective
pacts of labor has become victori-
Gus in comparatively short time. \
few decades ago, the German
printers formed the German
Printers Association" which, after
the pattern of the English trade
unions. was the FIRST Of all the Ger
man workers associations TO regard
itself as trade organization only.
The Printers Union not only Guilt
waited the feeling OF solidarity
against the employers. but made
use OF its increasing means to per-
rect the standard of its members.
The union has supplied the Socialist
party with its best editors and
members OF parliament Philip
Scheideman began as printer,
Inc chlef men OF the printing
uade soon saw that the well or
canned union Of typographers and
printers offered the best sureties
TOT peaceful work in unison. The
printers trade was the first in
germany in which EMPLOYERS and
workers Joined to form tariff and
is'er' labor unions. Today. not only
rs no printers ONCE allowed To en-
gage printers who are not members
., tne association. but no printer is
allo"ed to work in an Once ,Se
proprietor OF which has no, ioined
me empowers organization
me lact that in the storr,ies,
s OF the revolution the teach
Mss OF the Moscow cornuunjsts
so httle successful in Ger
is que In no small measure 20
.he nrm position OF the
paoe unions and to their worLing
IN common with the emnlovsr. Tns
pase OF the whole German econor,ts
organization, the Printers Irninn
IS why the Moscow agents fonsh,
chieny against the trad -
leaders: Today, the poIIticsI AZ.
leat OF communism in Germa,v :.
scared 1t has withdraw 80
political publicity, but continuss "
ouIrow under the surface SO az 20
unuermlne tho trade unions
is thls state of things which
lenos significance to the fouor,in
events The new wages 1.ed 4, 49,
last tarin negotiations betwesn ~
union leaders and the empIovsrs,
oeieeates did not appear hjgb
enough to the German nrintass
otii, most OF the men sccen,ad
Without opposition. hoping 10 gnt a
raise at the very next onportnri,,.
ne men OF r. Mosse, however r.
nrm that publishes the Re,,ina,
Iaseolatt suddenly asked TO- -.
extra raise. The firm refused 81
proposed bringing the matter h
iore the tarif (wage) committss
instead of answering, tbn w.
ceased working. This omen vioIs-
ton OF the tariff contract the ARR
responded to by discharYinx m.
men The ensuing debates. Ions
and excited. were presided over he
Brauns, the German secretarv -,
labor stu Is was not possible to
make MOSES men take IN work
again. In consequence, all the sm-
ployers declared their soIId.,i
with Mosse. and discharged ali their
men.
The employers declare that toev
are quite willing to reop.n n.rotis-
tons with the union leaders hut
on condition that Moses men hrs,
take up their work. They lay stre..
on ths fact that they do not MIND
paying higher wages, but that they
do not want the tariff principle 70
be infringed upon by the opposition
of small minority against the
rules put down by their own major
ity. -.