Evening star., 1928-06-03

far 1 thought American methods
i in industry could be reproduced
in this country, and I have an
swered that the imitation of American
mechanism would go a very little way.
unless with it there could be an i'm
portation of the American spirit.
There are, of course, other material
considerations such as the immensely
of the American market-which Is the
greatest free-trade area occupied by
white people-and the largely unex-
plotted resources within the national
boundaries. But the psychological back
ground Is all-important and must be
| felt to be understood. Analysis of 1t Is
difficult, but its principal components.
as see them, are pervading sense Of
/ Industry as a national adventure, and
I spirit of equality which gives every man
| his chance.
! They say that Americans have taken
/ some liberties with liberty. but equality
| and fraternity still flourish in their
/ country as scarcely anywhere In Eu
! rope. The English industrial magnateG
/ when they came to their own, took
/ over not little of the feudal baggage
+ Of the landed aristocracy. and the mas
! ter-and-servant idea is still powerfully
/ at work in their practice. The British
( worker kicks against it, but he still
: organizes himself as a servant who Is
/ up against a master class which Is
! holding him down.
/ No Place in America.
/ 1t would no doubt be an exaggeration
/ to say that this idea has no place in
American industry. but TO the English
| eye 1t is quite subordinate to the ruling
| principle of organization for production
| in which the individual accepts dis
/ cipline as worker, while claiming his
| equality as a man. This rules out what
| in Europe is called class consciousness
/ and softens the line between employers
| and employed.
| The phrase equality of opportunity
| is often used in old countries, but in
| practice it is limited by the tradition
/ which assigns one sphere to the worker
| and another to the employer. few
/ exceptional men leap the barriers, but
the great majority remain all their lives
/ within their class and are thought
/ fortunate If at the end Of their lives
! they have saved enough 10 provide for
/ their old age.
! In America the young workman starts
with the assurance that ability and
/ energy may win him fortune and
bring him to the top. Employers,
managers and foremen are on the
/ lookout for him: there Is none OF
I the sense that he is getting above him.
| self, If he pushes his way up: his neigh
{ bor will think none the worse Of him,
/ but rather the better, If he has had what
| is called humble origin" Americans
are used to this atmosphere and take 1t
( for granted, but the European recog-
/ nizes 1t as something permeating and
penetrating which makes him suddenly
| realize how claSs-ridden are the old
/ countries.
! However IL Is described, 1t Is enor-
nnously important. and combined with
! the practically unlimited opening in a
new country makes America in spe-
cial sense the land of opportunity.
But the notion which is current in
| Europe that the American process Is
| automatic, or that it follows mysteri-
ously and miraculously from the pay
ment of high wages and would follow in
! the same way. If only European en-
pIoyers would pay the same wages. Is
/ evidently an illusion.
Wages Must Be Earned.
Nothing strikes me more in looking
at American industry than the guaran-
| tee which 1t takes all along the ine
/ that the wages which 1t pays are earned
| The high wages are possible because
/ the production is on the same scale and
/ the greater factories are so organized
that IL must be. In the teamwork OF
1 mass production. shirking or idling are
| impossible. workmen as well as man
ayers and foremen are enlisted IN tne
| common effort, and no man can fail
/ without throwing a whole shop out OF
! gear. In such conditions the wages
must be earned and there is simply no
| place for the idler or malingerer.
! Undoubtedly the American employer
| has a far higher sense of the economic
| value OF high wages than the Euro
/ uean. He sees that the demand for tne
! thing he is making depends on nlgn
/ wages: he considers wage cuts as Things
| to avoid except in the last necessary
But at the same time he Is ouiloing
! up a subtle and elaborate system OF
! Incentives to work. Together with mars
production which exacts standardized
| quality Of effort from the worker, he
| has devised the space payment plan
| which makes him a continuous ana
| perennial customer. The workman Is
/ Stimulated to want things, and the in
/ terplay of the two stimuli keep sup
| nlv and demand at the same high level.
The creation of wants is now one OF
| the principal American industries ana
one sees 1t going forward with an inge-
/ nuity and prodigality OF advertisement
| and salesmanship, which make all Brit
| ish exploits in the same line look clumsy
and childish. All the minor moralities
| Of Europe are inverted in this process.
| Not to cultivate thrift and the simple
| life and the art of making little go
| long way, but to want things and TO
want them more and more Is now said
| 10 be the way of success and prosperity.
/ Wanting and working go together,
| The workman who is paying for his
house or his car on the installment
| plan cannot afford to be out OF work
| and is unlikely to down tools" for any
! trivial cause.
one hears Of highly paid workmen
being deeply in debt from this cause,
/ but the outward signs point 10 diffu-
| sion of property. which must be a good
| thing. The wage Garner seems to have
| a stake In the country and TO be caught
up into the industrial movement as no.
where else. There is little of the dis
gruntlement with capitalism" which Is
! common In Europe. and no talk of the
solidarity of labor" against capital,
The prosperous organized workman Of
| the great industries seems 10 be no
more concerned with miners strikes or
other disputes outside his own trade
| than the banker or the shopkeeper. His
| attitude To colored or unskiiled labor Is
that of any middle-class nerson, He
seems. In fact. TO an Enclish eve, to he
hrigaded with capital What he would
say or do II there were anv serious set
back In industry necessitating wage
cuts In his own form of EMPLOYMENT
| II there we're any, saw. conditions like
those Of the wear 1928 In Fncland-~is
a question which do not feel compe-
tent to answer. and which l hope, will
not arise,
To handle them wisely and prevent
them from becoming formidable organ
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