Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-06-23
Strike as Labor
Weapon Soon To
Be Over-ruled

| IloNluence, X. L., June 22-The pre-
diction that half century from now
! would find the courts over-ruling
their present approval of the strike
as labor weapon and substitute
ing for it philosophy of industrial
conduct that would protect the pub
lie and the working man without dis
! couraGing capital was made by Pres
ident Robert w. Kelso in opening the
National Conference of Socill Work
here today. Speaking on THE
Changing Fundamentals of Social
Service Work" he surveyed the prog
ress OF service from its beginning
with the giving of aims TO the poor
td its present day principle of striv-
ing tn remove the causes which lead
to distress.
President kelSo stressed the i'm
portance of a sound physical basis for
society. 1T is easy" he said. 80
reason that Il community which is
shot through with disease. which is
shorn OF 4 high percentage of its
working energy by tuberculosis.
which has not one perfect set Of
teeth i'll Il thousand, which mustprs
barely Co per cent of Il passahle ply
sique in Il war levy of its finest man.
houd-Such Il nation, except resus-
citatinG measures ana preventive
measures be soon set up, is likely to
become morally rotten and in the end
Goddess likely to crumhle as Il pow
en- in civilization. Wherefore we are
a Inn, q.
enforcement of the police powers in
matters of health and are heading
social necessity by requiring the in
diYidual To guard his good health as
a guarantee that he may function
better as a citizen"
lie noted IL great awakening in
public welfare departments. The
auditing Of doles was giving place to
department conferences upon the
adequacy of relief. Private agencies
We're being called in and their Coop
GRAFTON sought. Requests for appro-
priations for purposes of research
We're coming in. Everywhere the new
effort was producing men and women
of power and devotion to their scrv-
ice
But if these changing concepts re-
Nealed social progress he asked. what
could be said of til, cry for justice in
industry? Was a new day dawning
for the laboring man?
The courts recognizing the ire
mendous power of capital to control
the working people had gone to an
extreme eXpediency in placing in tho
hands Of labor the strike, a weapon
which as now employed amounted to
a conspiracy, he said. Leaders on
both sides now saw the fallacy Of the
view that industrial justice was a
problem for capital and labor alone,
and recognized that business man.
agement and the public had voice
in the question.
And seeing these things" he con-
tinued. I'VE see all too plainly that
The American laborer, bound by the
iron bands of modern unit machinery
is Il slave to Il few motions on n sim
gle machine. From them comes his
hope OF bread for his little ones.
Through them must come his eman-
into manhood; not capital
bat the economic trend Of the world
seeing him thus, we say Of him as va
said Of the slave Of 1850. that the
world may call him a chattel, but we
lnow that he has u soul. Possessing
hat precious secret we can reason
hat justice Will not obtain until in
lustry recognizes his spiritual value.
THE new fundamental in this
phase Of social work is that we rec
,eniZe as never before the social
necessities in the industrial riddle.
.eEal contract does not explain in
lustry; social necessity does. Let
mother 30 years go by and We are
likely to see our courts over-ruling
heir blanket approval Of the strike,
because it operates as n conspiracy;
md placing in its stead such a phil
'sophy of industrial conduct n $ shall
protect the public and the working
nan without denying capital its just
ncoura cement. The correctness Of
he reasoning is not denied by the fact
hat we are still far from its accom-
,liShment."