The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-08-16
BY FREDERICK J. HAsKIN


WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 16.-l
Does a workman have a right to his
job This is a question, much dis
cussed in recent years, to which a !
definite answer may be established in
the near future as one of the results
of the current industrial upheaval.
The controversy over the seniority
rights of the striking railway en-
ployees has an indirect bearing on the
question, and the settlement of this
controversy may point the way to the
answer to the question. Obviously 1t
is a matttr of the greatest importance
both to capital and to labor, and the
| general public is only slightly less in
| terested in il. 1t is equally obvious
, that the subject is debatable.
| On the one side there is the conten-
! ton that if worker gives efficient
| service and complies with reasonable
rules and working conditions he &C
duires a right in or to his job which
! corresponds at least in 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 argued,
and relatively it is just as valuable to
him as real and personal property are
to the employer. Therefore the con-
| clusion is drawn that the worker
should not be deprived of his job with
out due process any more than his en-
ployer should be deprived of his prop
erty without recourse to measures duly
provided and established by law
On the other side the argument is
advanced that employment may be
given, withheld or withdrawn entirely
at the will or pleasure of the employer
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 other con-
ditions that may be stipulated in the
contract he is quilted of all obligation.
The job is his and he gives it to the
, worker for a consideration. The work
er owns nothing but his time, his labor
, and his skill, and these constitute the
consideration in return for which he
gets first the opportunity to work and
second the wage after he has rendered
, q specified service. If labor is free, if
man can not be compelled to work
against his will or accept a job he does
not like, then capital must be no less
free ard the employer can not be re.
4 d
| or does not want, or to retain a man if
he sees fit to terminate the employ
| ment.
| Third Side
To Question.
But there is a third side to this ques
: ton, there is to most phases of the
, industrial problem-the public side
From this viewpoint it is urged thai
in this day and age industry is prim
arily a social institution and that the
: promotion, operation and expansion oil
y industry should be a social service sub
ordinated to the general welfare of al
tht people.
5 Rules and rights as between en-
f ployer and employed must be estab
Ilished not only on the basis of what il
fair and just to each, but on the basis
+ Of what is best for organized society
9 Consequently society should have
something to say about this question
. of a mans right to his job.
e A subject of this kind may perhap:
\ be presented more clearly and sue
\ cinctly by citing a concrete example
! Not many months ago some severa
! hundred workers here in Washington
( found themselves out OF jobs over
night. The nations of the earth haC
decided on a policy of disarmament
which meant that all new construction
: for the United States navy should b,
:. curtailed or cease. entirely. The work
> ers in question had been employed il
: the navy yard here when the navy de
= partment set about carrying out tn
. new policy they were dismissed almos
! without notice.
There was no question of their effiC
: iency, their ability or their willingness