Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1922-08-30
ON THE LEVEL


Or oily smiles and smirkings.
You give him model homes and such,
Or clubs in which to revel;
1t isn't coddling that he likes,
Or lordly condensation.
Such methods will not stop his strikes
Or Danish all contention,
You must be fair and square and just,
A man among your brothers,
Before old doubtings turn to trust
Or ancient hatred smothers.
Whatever motive yours may be,
In time he's sure to find it;
He looks through eee<y deed to see
The spirit that's behind it.
And though he may mi.understand,
Repel, at first, and dou BIT you,
He'll warmly grasp the proAfered hand
When he is sure about you.
The boys within the breaker shed,
The miners, deep below them,
Are slow of faith and hard of head,
You've simply got to show them;
And prove your varied aims and ends
Are not those of the devil
For man and master can be friends
If both are on the level.
-Berton Braley in the Coal Age.
copied in labor circles as the actual
amount. AS organizer of the dock
workers he has done much important
work for his organization and is re-
garded as one Of the most aggressive
of leaders.
The head Of the International Typo
graphical union gets a salary of $1,000
year and travelling expenses Until
comparatively short time ago his
services were requited with only $4,000
year. Many of the printers thought
he was worth considerably more. but
it was not until recently that the in
crease was given. He has many activ-
tiles which keep him constantly on
the wing. From his headquarters in
Indianapolis he makes frequent trips
where his services are required in the
settlement of strikes or in the making
of them.
The labor leaders Of the new order,
who occupy responsible positions, are
getting from $4,000 to $4,000 a year
and have to devote their entire time
to their tasks, although the indica-
tons are that before long there will
be more labor leaders who will COM
mand pay as high as that of the head
of the dockbuilders' union.
Judging the matter of compensation
for labor leaders from the point of
view of Mr.. George e. Holmes, the
general manager of the industrial re-
lations service, an expert on organiza-
ton, their positions are about the
equivalent of that of plant employ
ment manager and would command on
the side of capital from $4,000 to
$4,000 year.
"a plant manager who was held re-
Sponsible for the production made 'by
5000 men," continued Mr.. Holmes,
would be worth from $4,000 to $685.
600 a year, according to the results
which he obtained. It is difficult to
make exact comparisons, as the labor
leader Is not held to such strict &C.
countability as is the plant superin-
tendent. There is no reason why,
however, the labor leaders who work
along constructive lines and have high
ideals should not have every dollar
which those who retain them are able
to pay.
eff it can be shown that an $4,000
man builds up rather than tears down,
that he seeks to promote good rela-
tons between employer and employees
and that he has large vision and looks
to the future, he should certainly be
compensated for the value of his
services.
Worth 100000.
II should say that, considering the
general abilities and the power for
organization which Samuel Gompers
has, that he would be worth 100000
year to large interests which could
afford to pay him all that he is worth
He is worth that to the American Ia
boring man, for he has the qualities of
statesman and has wide knowledge
Of men and affairs. His work has
been educational and he has built for
the future.
Ellis services cannot be valued
merely in terms of dollars and cents.
and, for that matter, neither can the
work Of any man. The principle is
the vital factor to consider in valuing
men. If a labor leader stands for
! Americanism and seeks to advance the
interests of all whom he represents.
not merely by getting them more
money, but by making them more
useful citizens, he is certainly worth
a large salary and should get it,
The authorities who have looked
into the question Of wages in recent
months have based their estimates of
what should be paid on the basis of
production, and by the same token
they are beginning to estimate the
labor leader and his services on his