The New York herald., 1921-07-10
Labor unions as StabiliZers

THE LA6OR MOVEMENT BY Frank
Tannenbaum. G. F. Putnams Sons
This book is curious combna
ton of scholarship and emo
ton, of calm historical presen-
tation and of something at once per-
sonal and representative-plea and
prophecy.
The author acknowledges aid from
Columbia and New York University
professors and from fellow workers in
union organizations. The unions are
a part of the structure of the modern
world and it is important that the pub
lie should be thoroughly informed
about them. Most of the books hith-
erto have been written from the out
side point of view, however sympa-
thetic. This is the word of one of the
workers own spokesman.
The publishers note-like some of
the footnotes in Wells's Outline of
History-expresses disagreement with
the author. Mr.. Putnam finds fault
with the absence of any answers to
charges made against unions. Why,
he asks. do they not incorporate;
or expel members for criminal activ-
ity; or leave unmolested those work
ers who prefer not to join unions; or
increase instead of decreasing produc-
ton? Such questions are not an
swered directly. But the authors gen
eral attitude is thus expressed:
1T may be argued that have seen
only those things in the labor move
ment that / wanted to see. That
would not be true. / am not unaware
of the shortcomings of the labor move
ment l know but too well it's frequent
narrowmindedness, its chickering's, its
squabbles, its internal politics. it's lack
of social foresight. its jurisdictional
disputes and the tendencies that have
made possible the New York city
building scandals. l have described
what seemed to me to be the signifi-
cant and meaningful facts and forces
in the labor movement. That does not
mean that | am blind to opposing more
destructive and less social elements
than those which / have considered.
Simply they do not seem to me as i'm
portant or as deep ingrained in the |
character of the labor movement"
There is more than a hint of Lin
coins house divided" passage in one
paragraph in which this author pre-
sents what he believes to be the simple |
issue. thus:
There is apparently only one pos
sible outcome-either the workers will !
achieve complete security by eliminat-
ing the profit motive or the business
community will destroy the labor |
movement and get back for itself the |
absolute economic freedom which 1t
enjoyed soon after the Industrial revo-
luton. To achieve this freedom for |
the business community seems at |
present a visionary and, as will be
made clearer by some of the other |
chapters Of the book. hopeless dream |
The labor movement which began as |
a defence against insecurity operates
as a means of stabilizing a dynamic |
world without destroying its dynamic |
character and seems destined to
achieve complete control of the indus
trial functions of the community by
substituting service for profit in in
dustrial enterprise-and with service |
democracy into industry"
This introduction OF control by the
workers is to he brought about |
through gradual education of men I'm
their own powers and duties. the de,
velopment of new psychological at
titude:
THE method OF the labor movement |
is to make the function OF an indus
trial group a conscious group func-
ton. The problems OF sanitation. of
hiring and firing. OF the hours Of labor,
Of the speed with which the workers
work, Of apprenticeship. often Of the
machine used become subjects Of con-
troversy, discussion, agitation and con-
troll. The workers thus develop inter
est In their function. i'm their industry.
The physical cooperation is strength
ened by a spiritual one, by "A conscious
interest in the same problem and
constant desire for the assertion OF the
group opinion. 1t Is this fact that
makes organized labor so powerfully
creative and constructive in char
acter."
The basis of the plea made on behalf
Of the worker is that In his union ac-
tivities he is really performing a great
function The coming of :