Evening star., 1937-04-21
More Strife for Labor
Wagner Decisions May Eventually Ease Cause of
Disputes, However.

have to demonstrate to that part
Of the community which is not In its
ranks that it is not itself bent on
exploitation. 1t will have to develop
a social consciousness larger than a
mere labor consciousness. For labor
itself is capable Of adopting the basic
policies of the most enlightened cap
italism-policies Of monopoly, rigidity
and scarcity economy-which can
have disastrous consequences for the
total community and, in the end, dis
aStrous consequences for themselves.
For the public is perfectly aware that
there is such thing as q tyranny Of
trade union bureaucracy. We have
seen 1t elsewhere and we have seen 1t
often enough here at home.
Not all the opposition to trade
union practices comes from economic
royalists jealously defending the larger
portion Of the pie. It is q fact that
some industrialists with the most en-
lightened attitude toward labor are
apprehensive Of trade unionism on
sound economic grounds. They have
not opposed the unionization Of their
plants because they are anxious to
screw down wages or stretch ont
hours or foist upon the workers ur-
healthy conditions. Among them are
1nduStrialiSts who have consistently
paid wages above the union level. Of
fered hours shorter than those estab-
nshed by the unions and added bo-
muses., pensions, recreational facilities
and many other things as we'll What
they hate in the unions is the ca'canny
policy which sabotages production BY
establishing the maximum eficiencv
per worker at the level Of the most
inefficient; by laying down rules
which add terriflcally to the waste
Of materials and power; by hamper
ing the training Of badly needed
skills.
In all capitalist countries the unions
engage in practices which would never
be tolerated for an instant In 4 So
clallst state. For the Socialist So
ciety is right on fundamental thing:
Socialism demands OF the workers
more and better production At more
and more reasonable prices. It for
bids the sabotaging Of the productive
apparatus. 1t is basically hostile to
the idea OF scarcity economy. 1t
insists that the worker shall have his
full share OF the total production.
But 1t also insists that he shall pro-
duce and that once decent and hu-
name standards are established he
shall devote himself with zeal to rais-
ing the total standard of living bv
improving the quality and efficiency
OF production and eliminating waste.
Society Rebels Against Abuse.
II inside capitalist or semi-capi-
tallst society the community under.
taxes to guarantee to the worker GER
tain minimum standards and GER
tain economic rights, then society will
1nexorably demand that those rights
should not be abused at the cost of
the community. II they are abused,
society will rebel, and not always in
the most pleasant form. In ,many
countries I have seen strong trade
unions enter into compacts with cap
1talistic producers whereby the farm
ers, small business, the independent
professions-ail the unorganized part
OF the community, which is invari-
ably the larger part-has been SOUL
lessly gypped.
Organized labor has the duty and
responsibility Of protecting itself.
but 1t also has the responsibility of
seeing that 1t contributes, manifestly
to the stability, well-being and stead
lily increasing wealth of the society of
which 1t is only part. Anything
short of raising the level of the total
Well-being is not enough. Not only
must labor get a larger slice of the
existing pie-we need bigger and bet
ter pies altogether. We need to In
crease the total national income, as
represented by real goods and services.
1t has never at any time, under any