Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
BY JOHN ID. ROCKEFELLER. JR.

I'm THE days when kings and
queens reigned over their sub
| jects the qualification Of the de-
| sires of those in high places was
regarded as of supreme moment;
| but in these days the selfish pursuit
| of personal ends at the expense of
! the group can and will no longer be
! tolerated.
Men are rapidly coming to see that
human life is of infinitely greater
value than material wealth; that the
| health. happiness and well being OF
+. the individual. however humble, is
not to be sacrificed to the selfish
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF the more fortunate
or more powerful.
Modern thought is placing less en-
| phasis on material considerations. 1t
| is recognizing that the basis OF ma
tional progress, whether Industrial or
social, is the health. efficiency and
spiritual development Of the people.
Never was there more profound
belief in human life than today.
Whether men work with brain or
Drawn, they are human beings, and
are much alike in their cravings, their
aspirations, their hatreds and their
capacity for suffering and for enjoy
ment.
The soundest industrial policy is
that which has constantly in mind
the welfare of employees as we'll as
the making of profits, and which,
when human considerations demand
it, subordinates profits to welfare. In
dustrtal relations are essentially hui
man relations.
1t is, therefore, the duty of every
one intrusted with industrial leader
ship to do all in his power to improve
the conditions under which men work
and live.
The day has passed when the con-
ceptions Of industry as chiefly q rev.
enue-producing process can be main
tanned. To cling to such conception
is only to arouse antagonisms and to
court trouble.
In the light of the present. every
thoughtful man must concede that
the purpose of industry is quite as
much the advancement of social well
being as the accumulation OF wealth.
It remains none the less true, how
ever, that to be successful, industry
must not only serve the community
and the workers adequately, but must
also realize a just return on capital
invested.
The parties to industry are four
in number; they are capital, man
agement, labor and the community.
Capital is represented by the stock
holders and is usually regarded as
embracing management.
Management is, however an entire
" separate and distinct party to IN
dustry: it's function is essentially adj
ministratiYe; it comprises the eXecu-
tive officers. who bring to industry
technical skin and managerial eXpe-
rience.
Labor consists of the employees.
Labor, like capital, is an investor
in industry; but labor's contributions
unlike that of capital, is not detach-
able from the one who makes 1t, since
it is in the nature of physical effort
and Is part of the workers strensth
and life.
Here the list usually ends. The
fourth party. namely. the community,
whose interest is vital, and in the
last analysis controlling, is too often
ignored
The community's right to represen-
tation in the control of industry and
in the shaping of the industrial poll
cies is similar to that of the other
parties Were it not for the con1mun-
ity's contribution, in maintaining law
and order, IN proVlulnB agencies "
transportation and communication, IN
furnishing systems of money ana
credit and in rendering other services
all involving continuous outlays-the
operations of capital, management and
labor would be enormously hampered,
IL not rendered well nigh impossible.
x \
The community, Furthermore, is the
consumer of the product Of industry,
and the money which it pays for the
product reimburses capital for it's adj
yances and ultimately provides the
wages, salaries and profits that are