The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-11
LABOR'S NEW STATUS


 The decision of the supreme court, that labor strikes preventing the manu- facture of goods or the production of commodities of commerce are not in vio- places a new responsibility upon labor. There is increasing evidence that labor is becoming prepared to recognize that responsibility. It is readily apparent that the resort to striking to win labor's arguments is more and more coming into disrepute among the ranks of labor. This may be, due in large measure to the fact that the situation of labor is better than it ever has been and that there is less of that unrest which leads to strikes. It may also be dye in some degree to real ization that much of labor's advance has been not because of but in spite of strikes. Strikes are always a severe hardship upon the strikers and their fam lilies, to say nothing of the unoffending public. For that reason they have had little support in public opinion; because the people in general have always had the notion that the dispute could in most cases be settled without walkout.
 But there is further factor which is proving perhaps more influential than any other in forestalling direct methods of settling labor disputes. It is that the workingman is beginning to save his money, is owning his home, is buying securities, often based upon the very in- dustry in which, he is employed. In other words, the workingman is discover ing that between capital and labor there is no great gulf fixed, but that he him- self may, at one and the same time be both laborer and capitalist. If these were really conflicting or inimical terms, he would be in bad case indeed. How ever, it is not so. The workingman who owns property has merely entered into his birthright. But the position gives him a new-~af1d more sobering perspec- tive. It shows to him another and a better way of advancing his individual state, purpose which has been at the bottom of much of labor's unrest in the past.
 There are many workingmen who have not yet begun to enjoy the sensations of home-owning, of having money in the banker of having invested in good se- curities. But the number is growing, and the difference is not in lack of op- portunity but in lack of thrift or some equally important factor. One of the newest embarcations of labor has been into the field of banking. For many years the growth of the savings banks in this country has been in large meas ure built on the thrift of workingmen. Now some Organizations of workingmen have ventured into banking projects of their own. There are twenty such banks in the United States, seven of them es- tablished by the Brotherhood of Loco- motive Engineers, and the others by va- rious otheE labor organizations. This does not mean that labor is seeking to absorb this field, but principally to fur nish to the laboring man a more intimate connection with financial institutions specifically adapted to his peculiar needs, and serving function which the other banks usually do not.
 These banking ventures have been uni for-mly successful, according to. report, and have for the most part developed a brand-new business. In the first place, they have stimulated the saving habit among working people; and in the sec ond place, they have developed credit system especially adapted to the needs of working people. As result, they have prospered, not at the expense of other banking institutions, but supple. mentary to them. And the basis of it all is capital, the term which agitators used to employ as means of arousing labor to revolt as against a monster.
 Because of this new situation labor is bound to be more stable and more con- tented. The turnover of industries will be less and the quality of service inn proved. The workingman now has a stake, and future to which he may look forward with all those anticipations of a bettered condition which tend to make life worth living Enlightened indus tries themselves have contributed in great degree to this result, and the flu ture relations of employer and employe are bound to be more friendly and CO., operative than they have ever been. |