Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1925-05-01

through Unemployment compensation
legiaIation.
When organized labor started its
agitation to hold industry liable for
part of the wages lost during lay
offs, the S. G. johnson Varnish Com
pany Of Racine, startled the business
world by calling in engineers to give
the plan q complete trial. Collective
agreements were signed with local
employees organisation, holding the
company liable for so TO 80 per cent
Of the wages lost due to mo work"
up to 200 days. The results have as
founded those who cry, ut can't be
DONE"
Promotes Cooperation Ideal
eff industry expects loyalty and
good workmanship during periods Of
good profits, then 1t must not throw
labor out onto the streets during the
periods Of declining profits" says
Herbert F. Johnson, President. '"To
treat labor as q commodity proves to
be painful boomerang to industry.
Fair treatment begets cooperation.
Cruelty begets Reconsideration. Mod
ern education of labor has taught him
to demand the rights of citizenship
even in his job. Industry may not
preach increase output" to employ
ees when tomorrow it restricts out
put" by periodically shutting down.
''The new spirit Of cooperation in
industry is good business" he asserts.
1T is simply common sense. Recent
railroad managers experiences point
out the way for many through indus
trial cooperation. They may be as
sured of greater and more thorough
success where the management guar
antees the worker his wages when un-
employed. Such q responsibility
should "key up" any management.
It. should call forth better service from
all. In the S. C. Johnson Varnish
Company it has paid in many ways
tangible and intangible. We are
able to pay better wages. More work
has further increased incomes. Our
quality has improved and our prOduc-
ton has increased-without added
cost. Our management is constantly
con the job" It's viewpoint and pur-
pose have enlarged. The spirit and
morale of the entire plant force has
become an inspiration. All this has
come out of waste previously ne
elected. There is still much more
waste to be squeezed out. Waste
elimination has become the goal OF
progressive managers"
States Now Tackling Risk
Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota
are now tackling this very problem.
The solution is unemployment COM
pensation legislation, originally spon-.
sored in Wisconsin by Lieutenant.
Governor Henry A.. Huber, now be-
fore the state legislatures. With the
help Of the farmers, the church and
progressive forces, labor hopes &o en-
act into law this measure which will
start industry on the very important
work of preventing unemployment by
stabilizing its employment in BUSH
ness-like way. Ia
4 There is nothing new in these un-
employment measures. They merely
require industry to pay a part Of the
cost Of unemployment in the same
manner as we now require industry
to pay a part of hte wages, lost due
to accidents. They ask industry to
become q contributor-to share the
wages the laborer is now forced to
lose against his win.
rtI,,. .kls..,ko,.xy aorovavaaks~,, ,-rsl1
be the incentive that will secure the
employers and the bankers perpetual
attention and corrective action in
dealing with this problem. Such Leg
islation. will pave the way not only
to remedying this evil but also to.
eliminating it.
It will encourage the extension and
give permanency to such voluntary
agreements as those mentioned above
between labor and industry, at the
same time protecting the weak and
unorganized workers by inducing in
dustry to furnish them steady work
Railway managers will then find it
profitable to stabilize railway shop
employment. Further, such legisla-
ton will tend to perpetuate general
business prosperity and shorten the
periods Of business stagnation. This
is Of vital concern to all industry for
it win mean steady employment and
more regularity in the volume Of
business.
The magnitude Of the unemploy-
ment problem is becoming realized by
labor, engineers and progressive man.
agement. It's causes lie deep in the
haphazard business policies that are
now doomed to extinction. To pursue
the age-old practice of restricting
commodity output by ordering closed
factory gates-so as to hold up the
consumer with high prices and labor
with unbearable wages and work con-
'ditions-has now run its course.
In the mind Of those who would
promote the spirit of cooperation in
our industrial relations of the future
no single Legislative measure can in
spire greater hope when understood
than unemployment prevention.