Evening star., 1922-09-03
paid during the entire period of the
strike.

paid during the entire period of the
strike.
Why Workers Strike.
Organizations Of workers resort to
the strike only as a last resort, and
only where the issues and principles
at stake are most serious in char
acter. When workers go on strike it
is because they feel that it is abso-
lutely impossible to accept terms of
employment offered them.
So far as leaders Of labor are con-
cerned, and by that term is meant
the officers of the unions, they have
no more desire for strikes than has
the rank and file of the membership
great strike is one which no sane
man would accept unless conditions 8
made that strike an absolute neces-
sity. There is sufficient constructive
work in the betterment Of industrial
relations, in the development Of pro-
ment of production itself to occupy
all the energies of trade union Off
cials, as well as industrial managers
for great many decades to come.
And it is to those things that the
leaders of our labor movement prefer
to give their attention.
The Aim Of the Trade Union.
The trade union movement seeks the
highest possible development of our
Industrial life 1t seeks the fullest
possible development Of our national
productive capacity. 1t understands
thoroughly that our national average
of well-being is dependent upon the
Fproductiveness Of our industrial and
agricultural life.- What>it Is neces-
sary to understand Is that the highest
aggregate productiveness is depend
ent upon the full release of good will
and initiative by removal of repres-
try. This is the function of manage
ment, with the cooperation of the
workers in their organized capacity.
The chief obstacle is found in finan-
cial forces which control industry
from the primary point of view of
speculation and dividends.
Labor and the leaders of labor are
striving for the making Of better men
and women, for the development Of
opportunity and for freedom. They
are striving to the end that the chill
dren shall have opportunity to live
ings. and that they may have educa-
ton; that they may have the school
and the playground and the home. in
stead of the factory and the sweat
shop and hovel. 1t is labor's mis-
sion to make their burden lighter
than the burdens that have rested
upon the children of the past and of
our own time. st'
A Greater Produetiveness.
The labor movement and it's leaders
are striving for a better time, for a
brighter day. They have before them
the goal for which humanity through
the ages has striven and yearned and
sacrificed to achieve. And it is not
too much to say that the much
maligned and misunderstood trade
union movement has brought that day
nearer. 1t puts it's strength against
those forces which look backward
and which seek to turn humanity
away from betterment and progress
and freedom and democracy. It CO.
operates always with all who love
justice and freedom, and 1t prefers
to labor in helpful cooperation,
though it unhesitatingly opposes
those who stand across the'road to a
Labor looks hopefully to the time
when the further elimination of ereed,
the further subordination Of the pure
ly speculative and rofit-making i'm
pulse and the further extension Of the
democratic ideal may make possible
the full release of the energy. fnitia-
tive and Imagination of our workers.
and also of those upon whom devolve
the task of management; for we
know that as we approach that time
our productiveness is certain to in
crease, offering a more just reward
and q broader, fuller and better life
for the great masses of our people
who are engaged In the useful and
productive work Of farm, workshop,
railroad. factory mine and ofIice.>