, 1922-09-18
ARMOUR CONVERTED TO COMPTON,
CAUSE OF CAPITAL AND LABOR

THEN.
Reasonable Men AEree
Everybody has a right TO opinions
as to the cure for Industrial MS. and
the business with which am con.
ntcted : now engaged in trying out
a plan which holds fourth great pro.
mise. IL is not designed to bring
about the millennium. neither does Il
promise TO give workers high wages
and employers high profits. u IL
founded on knowledge that the bust.
ness must prosper n either employc
or employer il 10 prosper. with the
two factors working together with
mutual understanding and recoe milton
OF the problems confronting The in
dustry, the results OF the law OF SUD
ply and demand can be attained with
out injury to either factor and with
consequent beuefit to both.
This IL being accomplished with
Ms by the workers organizing into
what resembles political constltu
encies. they eiecting their representa-
tires to minor and major conference
boards. The minor boards consider
matters OF purely local and depart
mental interest. while the major
boards broaden tho scope Of their in
~terests up 10 the point where the
/, General Conferences Board sits In
judgment on problems affecting the
entire organization. The conference
boards are made up OF equal numbers
Of representatives OF employees and u
the management. and all their de
cisions call for agreements between
the W fSctions. The plan assumes
that reasonable men who are nc
duainted with all the facts about y
matter will reach an agreement when
they place their feet under the same
table and give honest consideration 10.
the problem before them. On tbs.
outside chance that some situation
may arise in which the two factions
cannot agree after such honest ano
careful consideration. provision is
made for arbitration. but Il Is not ex-
pected that this will be necessary.
Unions Ideals All Right
1T takes a very narrow-minded
person to believe hat the announced
iaines Of unionism are other than right
and just, but there IL also the certain
ty that IN practice the relations be-
tween unions and employers will be
tests Of strength. A STRIKE OR a
LOCKOUT MERELY SHOw
WHICH FACTOR is FOR THE MO
MENT DOMINANT. AND IN No
SENSE DETERMINES WHAT is
RIGHT OR WHAT = BEST FOR
THE BUSINESs-AND WHEN |
SAY BEST FOR THE BUSINESS |
MEAN BEST FOR THOSE WHO
ARE INVESTING THEIR LABOR
AS WELL AS THOSE WHO ARE
INVESTING THEIR CAPITAL.
I'VE do not expect this plan to &C.
complish the impossible. but do be-
lieve that whom reasonable men get
together TO discuss and consider mu.
tual problems, n solution can be found
which viii obviate tests of strength.
such as the strike and the lockout.
Public Rights Paramount
Under exlsting conditions. 95 per
cent of the people are made to suffer
mentally. physically and financially,
when 5 per cent engage in industrial
dispute. Everyone agrees thai the
whole public ought not be made TO
suffer by reasons OF wage Garner.
employer" disputes. But as Ions MS
certain rights now recognized as in.
~alienable continue to be so recognized.
the public will remain the innocent
bystander who gets the most of the
bricks. Wage earners say they haya
a right to refuse work: employers
claim the same right. Wage workers
say they have a right to fight for
what is u them: employers make IA
similar claim. ! appreciate the danger
OF advocating the abrogation of any
rights. but II does seem that the pub.
lie too has some rights. and that its
rights have precedence over the rights
of any minor factions, be they work.
ers or employers or stockholders.
Arbitration Should BE Compulsory
Il am a firm believer in the fact that
men in the main are reasonable and
that when they understand what is
the requirement Of economic law ,they
viii find a way to adjust themselves
to It. but II they fail TO do 80 and if
their failure Is detrimental to public
interest. then there ought TO be means
for forcing settlement through com.
Ipulsory arbitration. / am, today. an
advocate OF compulsory arbitration as
a means for ending "employer.wage
worker" disputes which cannot be
ended by mutual agreement.
II state 20 the Bahson institute that
there should be a tribunal Of such
character that its integrity and fair
ness is beyond question. Upon tina
tribunal should rest responsibility for
settling difficulties when direct nego-
tiations fail. The tribunal should
have ample powers to compel sub
mission OF disputes to It n to en-
force its findings. Only in that way
can the interests OF the great majority
be safeguarded. Strife between EN-
ployers and wage workers. based on
misunderstanding OF economic laws.