Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-07-13
.oue MACHINE CIVILIZATION"

loy, t6v a00SStU 3sA'vAS~ ~ s~s
uoud ,. yesdick at the commence.
msnt exercises, wellesley. The sub
Zee. 10 Our Machine Civilization"
The scientific revolution the world
has undergone is treated instruct
lively. One who gave the address at
Harvard's commencement exercises
in 1922 had spoken Of the world into
which the graduating class was pass
ing as a very complex world, a re-
mark which somehow seems absurd
in comparison with the complexities
Of the life we now live. And 30 comes
the question I'm brief has man the
capacity to keep up with his own ma
chimes" - "But one thing we
know" added the speaker at Well
lesley. the way out Of this morass,
IL It is found. will be found by
leadership Of intelligence"
Il may occur TO the mind that not
all the manifestations Of that intelli-
machinery. A very important mani
festation must be that Of getting the
most out Of the machinery we have.
A rather vivid hint of this is the high
" colored, striking advertisement Of
a lubricating oil. The arch field ly-
ing in wait to infict destruction is
appropriately pictured in menacing
red. labelled; Friction, the unseen
enemy Of production in your plant"
The senile chatter Of a long abused
fivver could scarcely be more en-
tightening.
with all its marvellous achieve
ments science has found no lubri-
cants for our machine civilization at
all comparable with good will and
mutual understanding, all of which
preaupposes at least a fair endow-
ment Of unselhshness with selfishness
which is enlightened. An interesting
letter from a workman in New Eng
land cotton mills written for the Bos-
ton Herald describes an industrial
leader who had worked himself up
from the ranks. who understood the
workmans viewpoint and has the
good sense TO appeal to it. OF him
the writer says:
When the union officials tried to
intimidate workers who wanted to
have job he did everything to pre-
vent il. He emphasized fair play and
was very firm about getting it. What
is more he had the language at his
command to get across his attitude to
the rank and file. He was an indus
trial leader of the first order and the
workers felt rather than acknowl
edged his leadership. When you get
a worker to feel with you it doesn't
matter what he thinks; he's yours.
In that mill when a notice is posted
YOU know what is wanted and why.
You see a good reason for everything
and that's what the worker wants.
Recently part Of the mill shut
down and the notice didn't merely
say the mill was to shut down, but
explained in a brief but convincing
sentence why. It said: Due to fact
that some of our customers will not
take their orders as rapidly as antici-
rated the yarn mill will shut down
until further notice. That's clear
enough and the worker who is spend
Ing his life in a plant has a right to
know why and in such way that he
can understand it
Very likely 1t isn't always so easy
10 get response to efforts like this.
Much depends on the individual. the
personality of the man in the lead.
But It ought to be evident that auto
craic methods are out of date. Firm
ness there always must be, but firm
ness with understanding. Within re-
cent years we have been having no
end of conferences. To such an ex-
tent is this carried that it almost
seems parties to a controversy either
lack or are disregarding their own ca.
pacity for arriving at a mutual un-
Outstanding. So many people are af-
fected that the eaders wish to pass
the buck and so the third party Is
called In TO share in the responsible
ity. Labor leaders wishing to retain
the favor Of their constituents. en-
ployers' wishing to retain the sup
port Of their stockholders turn to the
Cnverpmept "a "A NAV ont If the di.
lcmma. Chile and Peru for genera
ton have been quarrelling over q
STRIP OF territory. Now with the as
sistance Of Uncle Sam they are ar
irving at an agreement. But this
easily may be carried too far. Com
pulsory arbitration when the arbitra.
tor doesn't comprehend fully isn't
satisfactory to the parties who real
ize he doesn't understand or think he
doesn't. Nevertheless all said and
done. At this time conferences are
proving an effective lubricant -or our
machine civilization. We have lubri.
Gated the railroad situation with the
labor board. A like attempt is being
made with the coal situation. All i'm
perfect. seemingly dilatory but with
nj lubricant without which it would
be necessary to scrap the machine
} before we had another to put in it's
place.