Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-06-04
LABOR AND DEVELOPMENT

The Maine State Federation Of
Labor has been holding at Portland.
this week. a series of profitable
meetings. The relations between
capital and labor In Maine have on
the whole been unusually agreeable.
There has been comparatively little
of bitterness in those relations, all
Of which should and doubtless does
make for clearer understanding.
Among those who addressed the
Federation was Bishop Brewster. In
course of his remarks he said: 1T
IL not 30 much matter Of getting
more money-an increase in wage
but valuable as a means of develop
ment of the human personality; to
develop that in the man so that he
can work things out for himself.
The fundamental idea is human
personality, the greatest goal we can
attain"
TO appreciate In some degree how
the associations of the Federation
may contribute to such an end, but,
on the other hand, there appear to
be influences at work which tend
to the opposite. Indeed, as society
becomes more highly organized,
there is some sacrifice of the
personality of individualism. This
appears to be inevitable, and il 1t
may serve to eliminate class con-
seriousness the sacrifice should not
be in vain. Is the tendency of the
Federation Of Labor toward or away
from class consciousness?
Cooperation was, in sense,
forced on labor. Organization of
labor became a virtual necessity to
the development Of society as we
now know it. Labor is right in
organizing. and few if any dispute
this. But the results of such
organizing are matters of public
concern; moreover labor in this
country. taken as a whole, is intelli-
gent enough to appreciate this fact
and In many ways evinces a dis
position to fulfill its obligations.
With labor as with capital. however,
as with all of us, 1t is not salutary
for the individual or the organiza-
ton Of individuals to attempt to
decree as by fiat the share in pro-
duction. He is a wise man who
knows his own worth, at least be-
fore it has been put to~the test
How develop personality in a man
so that he can work things out
for himself" as the Bishop sug-
gested? Hardly by paying the same
wage to the drone in the organiza-
ton, who either is incapable or un-
willing in this matter of working
things out for himself. What of
the damper such procedure places
on the enterprising? Henry Ford
pages good wages, not at the die
tates Of labor organizations but at
the dictate Of enlightened judgment
--reserving to himself the decision
whether the employe be worth his
wage.
Any attempt to enable the en-
ploye to command more than his
worth IL a formidable obstacle; not
only to development of personality
but to the development of the pro-
duction, which is and must be the
only stable foundation for the wage
of labor or the wage Of capital
Indeed enlightened selfflshness now
perceives that slavery, or the modi-
fed forms Of 1t In industrialsm. is
uneconomic. lessening not only pro-
duction but also the use Of the
II 10 Of temporary nature leaving
society by that much weakened.
Organized labor in this country
has been sane enough and wise
enough in comprehension to realize
that a general strike, such as was
recently resorted to in England, Is
not feasible. whatever may be
thought Of its iniquity. American
AoboI ououiu 10 lHteillSSHI enough
to realize that the producers of food
are entitled to protection as an
integral and most important factor
in society; should realize that when
labor demands unreasonable wage
from the agencies that transport
that food to the consumers they are
injuring themselves along with the
rest of US. When organized railroad
labor thinks itself powerful enough
TO extort bigger wage. 1t would be
wise to consider what Henry Ford
says about agriculture not paying
ths producers. who. he insists, have
been mining the soil of its fertility
rather than developing it. that
whatever profit agriculture has been
able to secure In this country has
come from sale of the productivity
Of the land rather than from sale of
dhs products. Railroad labor is as
much concerned to have such con-
nitions improved a. are any of US
VINO consume food.