Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-08-11
'R[jSTED IRISH
LABOR LEADER
|. NOW CAPITALIST

..,or Aug. 1.-THE most trust
,.hor man in Northern Ireland
.asy is capitalist. He is Thomas
Andrews, bank president, owner
T. linen factories and Minister
Yabor in the Ulster government.
mr. the past four months, an the
Il - difficult conditions that indus
ri Ulster has gone through, he
kent the peace-a smiling,
aod-tempered peace--between capt.
4 and labor in Ulster. The big fl
4 .rcier rather fears him, but the
xniops's leaders go to him for help
Ina advice.
d His Parliamentary Secretary fs q
Asvk-eyed young man named
Fbomas H. Gordon, one Of the most
[dyapced of the younger labor men
n ulster-keen, clever, far seeing
aud determined.
a 0But," said Gordon to me, II
.omatimes think that Andrews is
&the quick-moving person and that
am the Tory, the brake on the
Wheel Andrews does not represent
ebor-he champions it."
III The Theories of Gordon
N So | asked this young capitalis-
IA Labor Minister what he really
aimed at. He looked very harmless
ID he sat in his plain office. In
Ehs worn blue serge suit he might
have been an ordinary clerk had
not one noticed his fine head and
quick, alert eyes.
"My sole explanation is" he said,
'that | was brought up among the
workers. My ancestors have lived
Iil Ulster for three hundred years
and have been employees of labor
throughout that time. And the an
eestors of a number of my work
ers worked for my forebears tive
hundred and fifty years ago. We
have never had a labor dispute all
through that time, from one gener-
ton to another, we have always
been happy family.
Here is my theory: 1t may seem
childish to you. But I believe that
the employer cannot prosper in the
long run unless his workmen are
well off and happy.
Bring it down to first pr1nca-
pies like to know that man comes
to work we'll fed and happy. Sup
pose that he wants couple of slices
Of ham and couple Of eggs for
his breakfast; l want him to have it
If times go hard-so hard that he
can't afford it--then his depriva-
ton hurts the employer more than
it does the man.
oReally a Parable"
"This is really a parable. II
Belfast in the two years we hav'
fallen from a great boom period t.
one of the deepest depressions
Trade has fallen not by degrees
but by landslides.. Employers hav'
seen themselves thrown from pros
perity almost into bankruptcy.
'Their first notion, naturally, !
to reduce wages speedily and larg
ly. That is where / disagree wit
them. Their future interests ar
bound up with those of their work
men. And | don't want to see tn
workmens good breakfast suddenl
reduced.
"Let me tell you this: / hay
in this room daily on an ayerag
half dozen deputations Of worker
from various unions. Not a da
passes but what 1 have several reI
resentatives of employers assocaa
tions to see me. l get both side
continuously.
"And l can say this. | hav
never found the men anything bu
absolutely reasonable. When L &c
them here and explain to tnem wha
the situation is I have found thel
prepared to accept it.
"But, of course, they have to FAC
their firebrands, and if one ask
them for concessions on has to o.
fer them something in exchange.
''On the other hand, l have nevt
had any difficulty in making en-
ployers realize the concessions the
men are making, and I think on II
whole they have acted generousl
in return.
II believe that within the ne'
two years Ulster will give an OF
ject lesson to the world in the wa
capital and labor can work han
in hand.
Both sides in this bad peric
must make sacrifices. But so ii
as 1 can see it the sacrifices WI
be equal. If we must give som
thing up / will see that the worl
mems breakfast is not reduced t'
suddenly or without cause.
And if the workmen suffer u