Seward daily gateway., 1925-02-05

 interested in employees representa- tion plans and organized labor which has thus far bitterly opposed such plans in the belief that they set up company unions designed to replace labor unions.
 The industrial representation plan was developed by W. l.. Mackenzie King, now Premier of Canada, at the request of John D. Rockefeller, IT,, the report says, and was introduced at the mines of the company by MT. Rockefeller. At each mine two or more representatives are elected by the members to serve for one year. These representatives from all the branches of the company meet period ically with an equal number of com pany officials. At these conference es any matter which employees desire to have discussed can be brought up. There are also in each mining dis trict joint committees composed of equal numbers of employees represen tatives and company officials to con- sider:
 l. Safety and accidents.
 2 Sanitation, health and housing.
 3. Recreation and education
 f. Industrial cooperation and con- ciliation.
 The report says that as a result of this plan, working and living condi- tions are more wholesome and hap py for the miners and their families, but that the miners are not satisfied that their representatives have the power to protect them in decisions regarding wages and other condi- tions of work
 "Employes' representation, as prac- tised in the mines of this company" Miss Van Kleek said, works a revo- lution in remedying the outstanding grievances of an earlier decade, but limited as it is to conference, con- cerned primarily with adjustment of grievances, and failing to take cog nizance of organized labor it does not develop leadership or stimulate in terest among the wage-earners. The lesson for industry generally in the experience of this company is that giving workmen a voice in the man agement of industry is decidedly step toward permanent industrial of success to be attained by an em- ployes' representation plan depends on the sincerity and intelligence with peace and efficiency, but the measure which the plan is carried out by fore men, superintendents and higher ad- ministrative officials"
 The report points out that at the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company the employees representatives are men who work in the mines and who do not feel free to act in opposition to the company's interest in defense of fellow employees; that employees are not making full use of the plan even for the presentation of grievances; that in actual practice the employees representatives have no share in de- cisions concerning reported grley- ances; that the issue of trade union ism versus employees representation is kept constantly alive by the com pany's refusal to permit union meet ings in any building in the camps owned by the company, by other ire quent instances of antagOnism to the unions and by the company's policy of accepting the wage scale of it's competitors which has actually been set by unionized companies through negotiations with the United Mine Workers, while refusing to deal in any way with the miners union.
 The report credits the company with much more liberal attitude to- ward unionism since the employees representation plan was introduced, but adds that conflict is in exis tence in Colorado between employees representation and trade uniOnism, which must be dealt with before any plan can be made to work satifac torily. "Exponents of employees repre- sentation in highly unionized indus try like bituminous coal" in the opin- ion of Miss Van Kleeck, must recog- |ize that question of wages and hours should be settled by agreements which are not limited to single company but include the industry as a whole if the idea of labor's partnership is to be made practical"
 ''There is in this situation" de- clare the Foundations investigators, "an opportunity for piece of con- structive statesmanship on the part of MT. Rockefeller and his associates which will have widespread influence upon the further development of en- ployes' representation in industry gen. erally throughout the country. This Iis nothing less than to undertake the