The labor world., 1921-09-03
which is a. contrary Is Christian
principles % any other war. ~
Democracy In Industry.


Democracy In industry must be re.
allied progressively and Is being
steadily approached today In an in:
creasing number sot Industrial estab-
lishments. Recognition of the ideal
commits no one to any particular So
cial theory or program.
collective bargaining with labor
unions is an expression ofsthe demo-
cratic ideal; SO also are some Of the
various forms Of labor representation
in shop councils. There are also DEM
ocratic forms of cooperation by
which labor relations within plant
are handled as in town meeting, or
family circle.
1T il quite possible to develop such
forms Of association, without preju-
dice to those vital interests Of labor
which are conserved by its own regu-
lar forms Of. organization, and to Sc
cure a real partnership between en-
ployer and employees. Such a part
nership may go to any length in dem
ocratic procedure that those con-
cerned may desire it to go.
1t Is Of Unreasonable Value.
"Jesus taught the immeasurable
value Of human life. Once born
into the world all society is obligated
to see that it has chance. Modern
high-speed machinery is dangerous
even with the best Of safety devices
"Although we have deeply mourned
the loss Of the $4,000 American men
who were killed In the great war,
we have given little thought to the
fact that during the same period Of
19 months. American industries
claimed $4,000 victims. This fearful
rate Of destruction still continues.
with all the impetus,to to protection
Of life given by tho -workmen's COM
pensatiop and industrial safety move-
ments, the dangers .of modern ma
chine processes still show that too
low a value is placed upon the life
and health of human beings
Not the Only Price.
"But the Gripping of the body Is
not the only price paid by human
lives. Crowded living quarters reduce
physique and low wages increase in
fant mortality. The wage Garner is
subject to hazards from which the
salaried and professional classes are
secure, Children born in industrial
districts are deprived Of opportunities
that should be inalienable in a Chris
tian society; a predestination as real
as any theology ever taught governs
their future. .~.. =
"Low wage scales and unemploy-
ment have the effect upon the lower
paid workers Of thrusting millions
down to the poverty line and an &C.
cident precipitates them into desti-
tuition.
:'Unless the man IS lifted above the
machine, the life that Jesus consid.
cred OF more value than tho. whole
material world is sacrificed. ::
In order that the family Of the
1aboring man may have fair oppor-
tunity, not only must life be safe
guarded, but wages must be suffi-
cient to guarantee higher standard
Of living for the workers and to JUS
tify their aspiration to a larger life.
There can be no doubt that our work.
Ing people should receive a relatively
larger share Of the product OF in
dustry. ,:~.. =:
Workers Are Never Oveqpald..
4! !.''Since prices :began.zto: reckdS I'VE
have heard much concerning excessive
wage demands. without doubt wages
in certain occupations have been out
Of proportion to those paid in the
less skilled and less we'll organized
trades. But throughout tho entire
period Of wage prices large groups Of
wage earners' have been compelled by
inadequate wages to 1.-Two at 4 low
standard.
mot only 80. but even the wartime
wages Of highly skilled labor, whether
OF hand or brain, can be considefed
disproportionately high only when it
Is forgotten that in the production Of
all our wealth labor bears the most
irksome burden. takes the heaviest
risks and suffers tho gravest 1nse-
curity.
Service the Christian Motive.
"Of course. business cannot be run
without an adequate financial return.
The services Of physicians. teachers
and even of ministers, require COM
pensation.~ But the primary motive
in these professions is assumed to be
service.
"A Christian society viii try to put
business under the same motive; it
will purge itself Of all ruinous COM
petition and substitute for it Z" CO.
operation that preserves initiative and
all the stimulus of competitive enter
prise without its warlike methods.
'The Kingdom Of God Is builded
through service and sacrifice: It can
not be builded out Of selfishness and
with the motive Of profit dominating,
nor can it ever be builded apart from
the >dadly activities of men,.
Motive Of Service.
:: And the motive of: service .is xnQt
only entirely practicable but It l. the
only salvation of business itself: The
service motive will bring a spirit into
industry that will minimize strife and
selfishness and magnify fraternity
and good will. It will inspire pro-
duction and tend to eliminate waste.
with tho profit motive controlling
both employer and employe, each
seeks to exploit the other. each looks
upon the other with suspicion, fric-
tion grows between them instead of
confidence, and industry assumes the
aspect Of war broken only by periods
of truce.