The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-09-24
The Church and the
Industrial Situation

the nhnuihctuflnE towns OF tNo east
found that whore tho average wHgo
| was so week. 20 babies out OF
every 100 died. where tho wage was
/ $50 week, only B babies out OF
every 100 died. So tho question ol
wages ig moro than economic. 10 ia
"a vitality moral question as we'll a
man cannot maintain hiH own self
re6poct who finds no way by hard
work tO earn a comfortable living
Tor himself ana family. lie cannot
maintain tho respect OF others. Lew
wages cheaper men, fatfcuB greed.
and undcTmlnes the state.
The church has "a right 90 insist
that Justice be done the employer
a. well as the cmployo.
The success OF tho industry rests
upon the employer. 1Ie must have
some freedom OF action II efficiency
Us 20 he maintained, lie deserves 20
be considered as human rud without
prejudice against those he employs
Tie knows that largely hls success
dcrcuds upon the loyalty of those in
his employment. No conscientious
employer wishes 10 undorpny Ho
and his industry are and must be
governed by numerous conditions
over which he has no control The
employer has a right 20 demand an
honest day's work for an honest
days wage, and sympathetic interest
on the part of his employees and CO.
operation In working out the produc-
tive capacity OF the industry.
The church has higher oblign-
tlon than either capital or labor.
and that II itR obligation 20 tho peo-
pie as "a whole. next 60 the obliga-
tion 10 God this In the highest.
! believe the hour IN come for both
pulpit, press and all religions, moral
and educational forces to speak in
no uncertain terms against tho
strike. I do not doubt the honesty
OF purpose and the sincerity OF mo
tive OF the strike leaders and follow
crs. I would not be Misunderstood
as attacking either OF these. and you
may not agree with mo in what /
say. but I believe that tho difference
.of opinion win not make ms enemies.
The strike - "a social hijs CksT. Il
Is aimed at the employer but Il hits
the public. II is costly and tho peo-
pie have 10 pay tho price. Just now
Il is enough for us 90 pay world war
bills without being burdcncd with
industrial war burdens. Tho poor
suffer tho most, because least OF an.
he is able TO pay the additional
burden. Men, women, ana little
children will freeze and Ftarvc this
coming winter owing tO the strike.
The strike is an admission OF weak
ness. 10 IN cruel Il iS heartlCss. II
proIudicos the public against labor
10 Ia an economic waste, IL euEcndera
hate and arOuscs the worst passions
OF men. We cannot have a large
strike without II IL accompanied by
arson and murder.
Men talk about having an innlien-
able right 10 quit work. The strike
means not only concerted action to
Iuit work. but prevents others from
.aking mp the work. 7 maintain that
4 one class OF people rendering any
service has right-iO quit
work, then all have the came right.
suppose we all strike? what would
hat mean? suppose the farmer were
10 strike and he has suffered more
than any others. suppose he de-
.ermines 20 go way back and sit
lown, TO raise only for the immcdl-
tie needs OF his family. No more
corn, no more wheat FOR market, no
more cattle and hogs for market, no
more dairy products. no more chick
ms and eggs. lie has quit. Why
hasn't he the same right to under
AXE to stop production as any
lihers have 10 undertake 10 stop dis
ribution? The right to strike carries
with II the right 10 freeze and starve
100 ,0OO,u ,uUu OF American people We
assert ana stand by IL to the bitter
end that the principle OF the
strike is altogether wrong, Lot or
ganizcd labor get ita cause before
the American people as every other
nrun % uivufinrt aud u frafIE. IL dana
the courts arc open We have a right
TO demand that capital and labor
get together and sottlc their own dif-
uculfcs without public Intervention
and public veal They have the
technical and scientific.
and upon them rests the obligation
ana tho responsibility.
The church must ever hold M the
of Jesus as fundamental
60 all right relations.
There is q growing conviction that
herein lies the solution OF an indus
trial questions. Many Instances can
be given OF the working out OF Chris
tian principles In industrial organ
izations.
John H. Easan or Atlanta, Ga,
president OF the American Cast Iron
Pipe company. on taking office made
this public statements "rhc dlrcC-
tors OF this company are all church
members They have elected am
other protesting Christian TO he
president on a basis that the teach
ings of Jesus Christ are 20 mo the
ruling principles OF the business
am glad if the actions of the d,rec-
tors OF our company Will cause other
prOtcs aed followers of Christ to Eiyc
this question their thought" "rhc
platform adopted hy the directors
declares for a reasonable living wage
to- tine loWca paid workman. cuu-
,tHnt employment FOR Ivory member
nf the organization. and actual ap-
plioation OF the roldou rule to rclo-
lions between cmploye ana employ
Dr' A dispatch 90 the Nrw York
Herald from Cincinnati under date
of January %, announces. "S,N hum
drpd employees of the Nash Clothing
company ut which Arthur Nash,
known as Golden Rule Nash, Us
president win ro TO work tomorrow.
richer and 'happIrr as the result ot
action taken ihfs afternoon in In
CrcHsug the wages Of am employees
90 per cent and adopting iu-hOuv
week instead OF ii-houv week as
in the recent past"
This Is the firm which increased
certain low paid workers from 81
Co Sl2 per week when the orEauIza-
ton OF another clothing company
was taken over two years ago, and,
us stated above has reduced the
week To- 40 hours and 8 daye, mainly
for the sake OF tine large Number %.