The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-06-09

to prod the great mass of work
Hawthorne plant to sing popular
songs. But the Western Electric
slaves, after a hard mornings
work at top speed, failed to re-
spond and the singing was a
failure. The men did not stand
when the national anthem was
played. They were already
standing, as no seats were pro-
vided for them.
No Cheer for Boss.
There were so many there that Du-
Bots looked like smear on the land
scape, and the sea of faces must have
looked like fog to him. But Du Bots
had learned his speech by heart, and
he started out: Fellow employees, l
welcome the opportunity to welcome
you all face to face. l like to think
Of you as friends as well as fellow
workers" The men were so busy
wondering when their turn is coming
to be laid off along with the 5000
already dismissed that they neglect
ed to cheer this patriotic utterance.
Du Bots spoke of the growth and
position of the Bell Telephone sys-
tenn. He declared the telephone in
dustry of the world is led by Ameri-
ca, not because of fuller natural re-
sources, but because of the efficiency
and concentration brought about in
the industry by the Bell system and
the Western Electric.
Boss Wants More Profits.
Du Bots pulled some real old chest
nuts. He made the bewhiskered plea
for "a fair days pay for fair days
work" Then, getting down to brass
tacks, the Western Electric president
said: "The production record of Haw-
thorne in the past has been superb.
And it should be kept up. / do not
want you to think that the purpose
Of Western Electric is merely to make
money. OF course capital must have
an adequate return in order that the
works may be kept up.
I'VE have a larger purpose than
that in the manufacture Of telephone
equipment. But for each of us to do
our part we must do fair days work
for a fair days pay. We believe in
honesty and fairness in all our deal
ings, and we wish to be fair in our
rates of pay"
The men had to stand there and
take the inanities of Du Bots with
out protest They were packed so
tight they couldn't break away. Any
way, they figured, they were out in
the open air here, and it was no worse
than being in the shop, speeding up
under the long nose of a straw boss,
so they stuck it out.
Nothing for Workers.
Du Bots didn't want to eat into the
100000 net profit the company
made last year, by offering the men
decent wage. The Western Electric
efficiency system forbids organization
of a union, forbids payment Of a liv-
ing wage, and insists on a break-neck
speeding up, so Du Bots was silent on
the offer of any concrete economic
concession to the men. So he prated
of good will.
I'VE want to keep good will in all
our dealings" said .Du Bots. 'Be-
cause production is complicated, no
one is sufficient unto himself. Fail
ure of any one will hurt all the 9TH
ers." It will hurt, he might have add
ed, the stockholders to do without
their dividends mo single person is
responsible for the stoppage of work.
There is no safeguard (for the profits
Of the millionaire stockholders) ex-
cept for every one to do everything
right at the right time"
When Du Bots had finished demon
strating and advertising the new pub
lie address system which is expected
to make hundreds Of thousands Of
dollars for the company the DAILY
WORKER reporter interviewed the
nearest worker to him to get the reac-
ton to the speech of Du Bots. This
man works in the engineering depart
.ment, along with 1000 other chemical
and mechanical engineers.
No Rights TO Inventions.
"Du Bots wants us 10 make all
kinds of sacrifices for his company"
said this man. But all we get is a
low wage and a balling out II we
slacken up a little in production. In
the engineering department we have
to sign away all rights to every inven-
ton or labor saving process we de-
velop that is carried out in the de-
partment
when came to Western Electric
! had to sign contract granting the
company every invention or process
thought out. They paid me one
dollar in return for signing this con-
tract. IL is the same with all the 9TH
er engineers know Of cases whore
men in this department have invented
| M rhfuaa ana proraouao oborfanfug