The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-08-18


agreement to furnish service on the
other hand.
Characteristically, the employment
of workers is in large numbers and
under conditions fairly uniform in
any given case. These conditions are
determined more by the nature and
operation Of the industrial equipment
and discipline than by any special
skill or capacity of the workers. If
the workers consent to compete for a
place in this industrial discipline, they
are obviously certain to be at dis
advantage They will be sure to re-
ceive less wages than they would re-
ceive otherwise. Unless the workers
can approach this market place of la
Dor on terms fairly even, with respect
to their employers, there is certain to
be not only degradation of the work
ers but continuing disorder and con-
fusion in the economic system.
Some employers make harder bar
gains with their workers than others.
Some workers are forced to accept
lower compensation and longer work
ing hours than others. The result is
not only dissatisfaction among the
workers but sharpening of COM
petition among the employers. There
will also be throughout the whole
economic system a narrowing of the
markets for the products of industry.
The workers, who necessarily must
compose the bulk of the market for
the nations production, will be unable
to exert a buying power equal to the
mass of manufactured goods. And
the greater the mechanical efficiency
of the equipment, the more will this
inadequacy Of purchasing power ap-
pear.
Thus, the setting up of an orderly
market for the buying and selling of
labor power, which has been recog-
nized in other countries, becomes the
inevitable and necessary consequence
of the development Of machinery and
it's operation in our industrial life.
This orderly market for labor power
can be attained only by the use of
collective bargaining on the part of
the workers as we'll as on the part of
the owners of industry. And col
lective buying under our system is a
corollary to collective bargaining.
The two essentials, then, of a mod
ern economic system are 1) con-
tinuous and orderly operation, and (2)
adequate distribution Of the products
of manufacture. These are well nigh
impossible of accomplishment in the
presence of the existing state of in
dustral development But they can
be attained, if there is now added to
the industrial set-up the fair indus
trial practice of the recognition of la
Dor and the utilization of the ma
chinery of collective bargaining and
for joint action.
This will require not only change
Of attitude on the part of employers
but on the part of the government
as well. 1t will require likewise a
modification of existing Legislation
which operates to prevent cooperation
between the essential elements in or
ganization within industry. 1t will
require the endorsements of thorough
organization of all elements in pro
duction. And to prevent abuse of this
industrial organization and power
there must necessarily follow the de-
velopment of the principle of uniform
and public accounting at stated periods
and Of a type mutually agreed to anc
approved or prescribed by the govern
Iment.
1t is to be noted this pro
gram goes beyond collective bar
gaining. 1t embraces larger tielc
for collective joint action. There is
not involved or implied in this pro.
gram of collective bargaining and OF
joint action any idea or principle
which runs contrary to the principle OF
the private ownership of industry. Ir
examining this situation, it may be
we'll to ask just what is the real at,
titude of American labor toward tn,
rights of capital to a fair return or
investment. Is labor seeking the
abolition of privacy in property? Does
labor look forward to the day when al
industry will be federal monopoly !
Does it foresee everyone working fol
the government, the only initiative anC
enterprise being that used by office
holders to perpetuate their incomes
strengthen their authorities, and elm
mate opportunities for any other pc,
litical aspirants?
To ascribe any such ideas to organ
lied labor is to ascribe to it an extra
ordinary lack of intelligence, unsup,
portable by historical facts. The
American workingman has no desire
to see his country transformed into
another Russia, with all property ano
all social and economic relations con
trolled by a vast bureaucracy. He does
not want government in the hands OF
the few and freedom of action denied