Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-08-16
BY I. HASKIN

800 Washington. D. c., Aug. 13.-Does
q workman have a right to his Job?
This is a question, much discussed in
recent years. to which q definite In
s~er may be established in theA pear
future as n of the results of the
current Industrial upheaval.
The controversy over the seniority
rights Of the striking railway ~ern-
ployees has an indirect bearing on the
question, and the settlement iof this
controversy may point the way to the
answer to the question. Obviously It
Is a matter Of the greatest importance
both to capital and to labor, and the
general public is only slightly less I'M!
terested in it. It 10 equally obviods
that the subject ID debatable. :
On the n side there is the con-
service and complies with reasonable
rules and working conditions he ac-
quires a right in or to his job which
corresponds at least in a degree to the
property right Of the employer in his
invested capital and plant. This right
increases with the length OF service
Of the worker, it is urged, and rela-
lively it is just as valuable to him as
real and personal proper are to the
employer. Therefore the conclusion
is drawn that the worker should no
Oo ucpI1VcO Ol MS JOD Without Oue
process n more than his employer
should be deprived Of his, property
without recourse to measures duly
provided and established by law:
On the other side the argument is
advanced that ,e~rr>p1oy1nr;,i may ue
given, withheld or withdrawn entirely
at the will OF pleasure of the employ
er and that the laborer has no rights
in the premises except to his wage
after he has earned it. Employment
is a contract according to this theory
and when the employer has paid the
wage prescribed and fulfilled any
conditions that may be stipuiat-
ed in the contract he is quilted pf all
ebligation.s The job is his and he
gives it to rthe worker for a consider
alton. The other owns nothing but
bis time, his labor and his skill, and
these constitute the consideration in
return for which he gets first the OPP
portunity to work and second the
wage after he has rendered a speci-
fieu service. If-labor is free, if a man
can not be,conpelled to work against
his will or accept a joo he does not
like, then capital must be no less free
and the employer a not be required
to hire a mamie does no like or does
not want, or to retain a mar il he
sees fit to terminate the employment.
Third Side to Question.
But there tsta third side to this
question, As there is to most phases
of the industrial problem-the SpuDlic
side. From this viewpoint it is urged
that in this day and age industry is
primarily a social Institution and that
the promotion, operation, and expan-
sion Of industry should be a social
service eubordtnated to the general
welfare Of ssalI-the people. Rules and
rights as between employer aid en-
ployed be Established not only
on the basis Of what is fair and Just
to each, but on the basis OF what is
best for organised society. Conse-
lQpertly society should have somethink
Ito say about this question OF a mans
right to hia JOB. q
A subject o. this kind may perhaps
be presented more Clearly and sue
Mot many months Ago some several
hundred workers here inkWnshinEton
found themselves out o. Jobs over
night. The nations 81 the earth had
decided on 4 policy Of disarmament
which meant that AL new construc-
ttion for the United StAtASs navy should
be curtailed or entirely. The
workere Ia question had been employ
led IN the navy yard here when the
navy department set about carrying
out the new policy they we're dis
missed almost without notice.
There was no question of their eff
cheney, their Ability or! their willing
neas toSwork. Most Of them had been
In the service many years. Their la
Dor hAd beefi vital IN time 6f war
when the nations liHo was lat stake.
They and their families w4re part and
parcel Of this COMMUNITY, they had