The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-06-24
FACTORY OWNER
EABORER'S FRIEND
Ulster Capitalist Fights
Battles Of Labor in
Industrial War
WANTS MEN WELL FED
Workingmen Have Implicit
Faith in This Wealthy
Owner Of Factories

BELFAST, Juno 8--Tho most
trusted labor man In northern lro-
land today Is a capitalist fis is
Thomas d. Andrews. bank president,
owner uf big linen factories and min
lister Of labor Ia the Ulster govern
mont
Itor tho past four months. IA the
most difficult conditions that indus.
trial Ulster has gone through, he has
kept the pCaCc--a amiliug. good tenn
ptred PENCE between capital and Ia
bcr IN Ulster. The dig tinanCicr
rather fears him but tho unlOuH
Leaders go 10 him for help and ad.
Vice.
ills parliamentary secretary Ia n
baWk-Cycd young man named Thom-
as II Gordon. one ur the most nd
v1ncod Of the younger labor men In
Ulstcr--kcCn. clever. far seeing and
determined
But" snid Gordon TO mo. 81
somctimeS think that Andrews is the
quick moving person and that | am
the tory, the hrnke on the wheel
Andrews does not represent labor
he champions IT,"
The Theories OF Gordon.
SO asked this young capitnllstlc
at Io looked very harmless as he
sat I'm his plain office. In his worn
blue serge suit he might have been
an ordinary clerk had one not no.
tlced his fine head and quick. alert
eyes.
My sole explanation b." he said
that | was brought up among the
workers. NV ancestors have lived IN
Ulster for 500 years and have been
-
time. And tho ancestors OF "a num-
ber Of my workers worked for my
forcbears $50 ycnrs ago. We have
never had labor dispute. All
through that time. from one gener-
alton to another, we have nlwnys
been happy family.
Here is my theory. 10 may seem
childish to YOU. llut | believe that
the employer cannot prosper In the
long run unless his workmen are
wen Off and happy.
Bring II down TO first principles.
| Ike TO know that q man comes to
work we'll fed and happy, Suppose
that he wants a couple of slices or
ham and a couple OF eggs for his
breakfast: | want him 10 have II. II
times go hard--Eo hard that he cant
afford it--then his deprivation hurts
the employer moro than II does the
man.
"Rcally IA Parable"
This " really n parable. In Bel
tart In the past two years we have
fallen from a great boom period TO
pne of the deepest depression.
Trade has fallen not by degrees but
by landslides. Employers have seen
themselves thrown from prosperity
almost into bankruptcy.
Their first notion, naturally, IL to
reduce wages speedily ana largely.
That Is where I disagree with them
Their future interests are bound up
with those of their workmen. And
| don't want 10 see the workmen's
good breakfast suddenly reduced.
Let me tell you this: Il have In
this room daily on an average half
dozen deputations OF workers from
various unions. Not day passes but
what | have several representatives
of employers associations TO see me.
l get both sides continuously.
"And can say this: have never
found the mon anything but abso-
lutely responsible. when get them
here and explain 20 them what the
situation is ] havo found them pre-
pared 10 accept II.
Iaborcrs Face Fircbrnnds.
But, of course, they have to face
their flrebrands, and II one asks
them for concessions ono has TO offer
them something in exchange
"On the other hand. l have never
had any difficulty In making em-
ployers realize the concessions theft
men are making, and | think on the
whole they have acted generously In
return,
81 believe that within the next two
years Ulster will give an object les
son TO the world In the way capital
and labor can work hand IN hand
Both sides in this bad period
must make sacrifices. But so far as
can see II tho sacrifices will be
equal. II we must give something
up | win SEQ that the workmcn's =
breakfast Is not reduced too sud-
denly or without cause.
And II the workman suffers the
employer a must suffer equally at
least. Community Of this kind must
be the root of our industrial system
II We are going to make Ulster the
gtatn Nra o. Iva a ~