Evening star., 1932-02-28

He then began bit of thinking sig
nificant to today, to this moment when
/ the theory that wages should be main
/ tanned during a depression is being put
to the test. He then thought this wav:
There are two schools of thought in
these labor disputes, the 'forward-look-
ing and the 'reactionary.' The former
builds on faith and the latter out Of
the old materials of the past.
The great trouble seems to lie In the
fact that collective bargaining is con-
pceived of in terms of unionism, closed
shops and walking delegates. A conn.,
promise must exist which will safeguarJ
the rights of employer and employs
without injustice 20 either.
we have an index number based
on a scientific conception of important
factors in the cost of living. Why not,
then, arrive at a scientific wage scale
based on these index numbers?"
View Of Problem Broadened.
He had grown out of the war psy-
chology in labor disputes But it vas
not until 1916 that he had broadened
his view of the labor problem and ex-
pressed it in the first Of series OF
notable addresses which, together with
the printed reports of arbitration cases
in which he has figured. form small
library of the Growth OF an Idea. He
first read that paper before The Con-
ference Club.
Shortly before We entered the war
he suggested to a number or men
prominent in the electrical industry
that they get together at Virginia Hot
Springs and play golf Nothing said
about business or social problems. Just
a good time. Yet he had thought,
though he didn't mention it:
oh u-oi
cent of the business, is always the last
thing We think of from business
standpoint We are clever buyers OF
material, but we don't know how to In
vest in men. We must find some COM
mon basis for a solution. Side issues
are reducible to one; the barbaric
competition We are putting up against
one another-to no purpose.
''I have always been against surrep-
titious price fixing 1t isn't necessary
to do anything illegal in order to bene-
fit ourselves"
Those invited came And from that
meeting and its adjournment TO At
lantic City developed a long series OF
consultations, conferences, discussions
of this idea of cooperation in effort
and science in approach.
It was mutual education Whlcn
sank into only temporary deSuetude
when we entered the great conflict.
Called to Washington among the
dollar-a-year men of the War Indus
tries Board, Mr.. Comstock for the
time being had other things to think
about He was given, spec1f1cally, the
matter CT brass.
Now, at peace, brass" sounds like
minor thing. Brass, in war. meant
admiralty in transport and bat
tleship and bombs on the battleneld.
nofO there IA
three-month supply in sight.
Received Private Requests.
You should hear Mr. Comstock tell
of his experiences incidental to brass
control during the war to cut your
illusion that all conservative Americans
are patriotic. Well known, important
gentlemen from the capital ltSeH VINO
asked him to provide brass tubing 1or
constituents restaurants, for example,
or for a certain Senator's suburban
house, when the Government was scour-
ing the country to get enough TO pro-
tect the very lives of our men at the
front Not pretty stories, these, put
side lights on the reason why the chlnS
of that board stuck out considerably
more at the end Of the war.
Among them, no ones chin, probably,
was squared more forcefully by naturs
than L. K. Comstocks. It's breadth Is
set at the top of thick, muscular neck.
Above it is a rather small mouth,
clipped mustache, nose which has no
curve of a predatory character, two
rather prominent blue eyes and a well
balanced forehead. The whole erect,
together with his great height and
solidity, gives him a strangely Man
DARN aspect.
Perhaps the effect is in part due to
his manner which is naturally ex-
tremely dignified his speech, which Is
fluent but never fast, and the lack OF
gesture with his hands.
He has read deeply. He has unuS-
ually wide acquaintance. Yet little that
he has read and no one he has ever
known gets forgotten. He can reach
into his memory for a name, date, IN
some obscure episode of his crowded life
with almost unfailing accuracy.
Such, in appearance and manner,
was the man who returned to private
business at the close of the World War.
More than ever he thought about that
other war-between the employer and
the employe. Why should it continue
to exist? So far from there being an
opposition interest, were not their in
terests identical? And among en-
ployers is not everything which is good
, for the industry as a whole good for
each constituent member?
Paper Given Wide Publicity.
Suppose they are How can we change
the old psychology and get together on
a new one?
1919. A significant date for many
men who, like Mr.. Comstock, had felt
wartime's too brief spirit Of sel1essness,
of brotherliness.
The paper he had read before the
Conference Club had been given wide
publicity. He was asked to repeat it at
Atlanta and elsewhere. In the South,
in the Middle West, along the Atlantic,
that "brotherliness" of 1918 might still
be fused into daily conduct. The Con-
ference Club became the furnace.
Rather it was useful acorn from
which in another year came the
Council on Industrial Relations for
the Electrical Construction Industry Of
the United States and Canada"
This council (of which Mr.. Com
stock has been continuous chairman)
consists, on the side of capital, of five
representatives of contractors and
dealers chosen by the national associ-
ton and on the side of labor, of five
representatives of the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Its first meeting in Washington saw
Mr.. ComStock as chairman. And the
meeting decided that the council should
concern itself but little with current
disputes and devote. its efforts to re-
moving the causes of dispute. 1t said:
THE function OF the council is that
OF study and research to the end that
it may act with the fullest knowfe1se
of these causes and secure the largest
possible measure of genuine co-opera-
ton between member organizations and
generally between employer and en-
ployes, for the development of the i,t-
dustry as a servant to society and for
the improvement Of the conditions Of
all engaged in the industry"
THE servant of society,"" 79