Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-12
RY Hills II. BARNES

Vice President International IhaW'el "a
Commerce.
Great Britain, our great mother
country across the ocean, has come
upon O. time of great stress ana triai'
We who know Britain KNOW that TINS
will be solved and solved right. Bu'
is il not due to the fact that the
gospel Of sound industrial relations
has not vet found it's firm establsh
ment in public and official opinion in
Europe?
Three years ago the American dele
cation to the International Chamber
of Commerce proposed q declaration
Of principles on which the production
of the world could be maintained, and
especially a sound declaration of the
industrial relations which must main
tain throughout industry.
There was much telephoning to the
capitals of Europe, and much discus
sion of the effect on the strong labor
organizations of Europe, but the
declaration was promulgated as the
accepted, unanimous opinion Of bust
ness since the world began, that there
were four simple essentials which
must come into play if production is
to be maintained and the living stand
ards Of people advanced.
Labor-Saying Devices.
First. the adoption of inventions
and labor-saving devices which en-
large production.
Second, the abolition Of artificial
restrictions on effort or output.
Third, relative wage compensation
by which 6, worker is stimulated, be-
cause it represents the value of his
product; and
Fourth. the superiority of private
ownership and operation over state
ownership and operation.
Could you analyZe those four re
quirements into the situation which
exists today in Britain and find a SO
luton? You could. In the American
labor movement last Summer occurred
a most epoch.making incident, wher
the American Federation Of Labor
declared, in formal session, that the
value of a days work was it's value in
production. They abandoned the ole
world concept of IL hours before the
bench, and all the claims Of a living
wage as the basis for a mans re
turn. and announced that not hours
but results, were the measure OF the
value of q mans work. A great for
ward step was taken in industrial re
lationS in this country, and one which
is clearly along the road marked Out
three years ago by the gathered bust
ness opinion Of the world.
New Philosophy of Work.
We believe that we have a right ia
speak on this subject. We believe our
claims that we have here in this
most fortunate laboratory Of the new
country developed a new philosophy
Of labor, or work. Of production, are
justified and maintained when we see
British missions Of manufacturers
British missions of trade unionists
coming to America to study the
amazing living level Of the American
worker.
We believe it is justification which
will enable us to speak with all the
strength Of conviction that has grown
within us by the demonstrated his
tory of these last years. that the Sc
curity OF the individual home rests
upon the living standards OF the peo
pie: that the living standards of the
people rest upon the earning power
Of the people; that the earning power
Of the people rests. not in hours de
voted to labor. but in the effectiveness
of that labor. and that we have
learned here in this new laboratory
some methods which we can with
advantage lay before the considera'
ton of the rest of the world.
When we see this magic method OF
earning power through production
developing at such a rapid pace as
for instance, in the single case or q