Evening star., 1934-02-10
Question of Temperance.

To most of these men this seemed
neither astonishing nor dreadful. A
good many seemed to think that it
was not only inevitable, but desirable.
Many more than one would suppose.
The rub came on the question of de-
gree They believed it all TO be a
relative matter. like the national debt
or the subject of initiation, and so, OF
course, it is. A question of temper
ance. Some division OF income, some
increase of our debt to relieve dis
tress, some initiation to compound
debts withal. But not too muchl
How EinStein must laugh at the
economists! If all things are relative,
by what measuring rod does a statlstl-
clan measure enough redistribution
of income, or enough debt? Compared
with what are We initiating too much
or too little? Is the United States in
1926 par or bogie? The answer can
only be found in the temperament,
desires, hearts and feelings OF the
100000 900 people concerned. Hence
it is an important fact when l say
that I discovered a great number of
the men whose wills control the buS1-
ness world are ready to accept some
further division of the fruits OF In
dustry with their employees.
People do not adapt themselves to
political economy. Political economy,
like the rules of grammar applied to
Shakespeare's plays, is nothing at all
but a record of what has already
happened If people want to, they
can always do unheard OF and hence
impossible things. even agree to dis
sipate their entire resources in wages.
Sold Farm Back and Forth.
AS an illustration I recall this con-
versation:
DO you own this place?"
"Yes, but not for long now, thank
God"
What do you mean?"
Bill there" pointing to man
plowing in the field. has got to buy
it next week.
He has, eh?"
He used to own it. I worked for
him for Sl00 a month until I got all
his money. Then 1 bought the place
from him and hired him at S100
month. But he agreed to buy it back
when my money gave out. So it's my
turn to work next
Industrialists in general seem grudg-
ingly willing to let their own employees
organize for collective bargaining.
But there is violent opposition in a
majority Of the plants in the country
to organization by outsiders mean
the American E'a6-
Grafton of Labor.
The federation officials in most
States will tell you that the employers
intimidate the men and write the con-
Stitution and rules of their own COM
pany unions. Employers say they get
along perfectly well with their men
and that the men really do not want
to be gouged for dues by professional
agitators, whose only interest Is to
make themselves fat salaries.
Strike Tests Union Issue.
From my own observations I can
say that both statements are substan-
TALLY correct in many instances.
Under the emergency acts the work.
men in any plant are legally entitled
to join the national union or any
other they wish. But there Is a very
determined section of American busi-
ness which, failing in persuasion, alb
Solutely refuses to recognize any out
side union, law or no law, administra-
tion or no administration. A large
manufacturing company in Phila-
delphla has had a strike on its hands
testing out this issue.
AS usual in a democracy it is not
all question of the letter of the
statute. The working Of an economic
and social change involved in the eff
fort Of the A. F. of L. to battle for all
labor depends in the first instance on
their ability to enroll the loyal sup
port of a large proportion of the work.
men and in the second to their ability
to enlist the preponderance of public
opinion on their side.
The trial of this process is going on.
The federation has gained enormously
in membership. But its enthusiastic
supporters are largely in the sick and
miSmanaged industries. The organ
ization has long way to go before its
control will be recognized as an in
tegral part of the American system.
(Copyright 1894. BY the North American