Daily Kennebec journal., 1922-04-29
Saturday, April 2e, 1922.
A WAY TO INDUSTRIAL PEACE.

dustrial conditions today as ever they
were or can be to any phase OF human
en6eavor: peace with understanding,
because with understanding most
men may cooperate in some degree
NAV get along together In fairly
amicable relations. with mutual
recognition OF good qualities and
some measure Of tolerance for the
UNPLEASANT ones. The comparatively
small percent who cannot or will not
conform to these requirements are
negligible quantity when the others
are in accord. 1t Is cnly when there
is discord that they are able to be
influential When capital and labor
are co-operating, especially when
they have understanding. the mall
contents can only expect to be dis
agreeable, their power for actual mis-
chief is very small.
There is anything but peace in the
industrial situation viewed as whole.
The employers say that they cannot
20 on paying wartime wages. the en-
ployes declare that they can but are
thinking this an opportunity to crowd
the wage-wYrker. To the cotton man.
ufacturer Of New England who says
he must be enabled TO compete with
the manufacturer in the South, who
paws less wages for 60-hour week
than the northern employer is COM
PEELED to pay for 4S-hour week, the
employe replies: You are paying fat
dividends at that and those who work
for you have to pay more in fuel and
rent than do the southern employees.
And with all this argument the an
tagonism deepens; each feels that the
other is trying to gouge. and when
that feeling exists team work and all
the benefits Of cooperation have gone
glimmering. History is Uttered with
wrecks caused by the autocratic spirit
of one toward another.
Amid all the depressing features of
the situation there are some which
are favorable and here is one of them
described by Richard Spillane in the
Public Ledger:
Some of the foremost men in
America are looking toward Philadel-
M Wit Al nj ho
do you suppose challenges their at
tention? Its great manufacturing
plants. its fine port facilities, or it's
wealth of historical structures? No.
What interests them profoundly is the
Philadelphia Rapid Transit. They
want every bit of information they
can obtain about the marvel wrought
whereby management and men have
been brought not only into the closest
harmony and cooperation, but into
actual partnership in the property
: they operate. The magazines are the
same way. They are putting their
ablest writer's on the job of getting
the story in its fullness.
"Mr. Mitten is flooded with invita-
tions to address economic organiza-
tions. Chambers of Commerce and
other bodies all over the country. In
declining. Mr.. Mitten suggests that
no one can get the heart and spirit of
the subject unless ne comes here,
rides on the cars, mingles with the
men at barns and shops and sees for
himself and hears for himself from
those best qualified to speal5-the
men otthe p. r. r.,
''Mr. Mitten is wrong. The men
can tell only part of the story. The
wives and children are better quail
fed to speak Most strikes have their
genesis in the home. Where the fam
lily is happy and contented, proud of
the boss and proud of the property,
tho worker is likely to be the same.
Great as is the faith of p. r. T. men
In Mr.. Mitten, the faith Of the wives
and children of those men is greater"
How may this example be brought
10 general attention, and when Mr..
Mitten. the superintendent of this
street-car system who in the face of
seemingly insurmountable obstacles
brought about this mutual confidence,
passes on who is there trained or big
enough to take up and continue the
work7 Inspiring mutual confidence
among ten thousand employees is a big
Job. however one views 1t, and not
every personality is fitted to under
take II however genuine NAV be his
desire TO succeed. But the beginning
has been made in such conspicuous
fashion. the results are so excellent.
the conditions under which II has
been done have been discouraging
but have yielded fruit. the golden rule
Plus a financial interest in that for
which the employe works is shown to
be practical formula and is the only
ono in sight which promises such re-
lief as really is needed, so much of
good has been accomplished that the
observer must pay 1t the respect of
attention and should accord it the
compliment OF imitation. Labor trou-
bies are centuries old. old as the sell
hshsess Of man. and the Mitten mira
Gle IL not old-but It is able to walk
and insists on receiving attention.
The Armenians are laying claim to
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