The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-03-21
Fdcing the Facts
With PHILIP PEARL

OF trade unions-thats news. When |
such a thing happens in the South
that's BIG NEWS.
Therefore, we want to call your at
tention to talk make by Preston s.
Arkwright, President of the Georgia
Power Company and one of the great
industrialists of the South, during the
Southern Labor Conference held by
the American Federation of Labor in
Atlanta, Ga.
Mr.. Arkwright knew that the lead
ers of organized labor were converg
ing on Atlanta to map plans for the
most sweeping organizing drive ever
undertaken in the ten Southern States
east of the Mississippi. Did he sulk
No. Did he run away? No. Did he
start organizing opposition to organ
lied labor? No. Instead, he called to-
gether most of the big business men
Of Atlanta to luncheon, invited
President William Green and large
number of other labor leaders as his
guests of honor and proceeded to
speak his mind in their presence.
"All through my early business
life," said Mr.. Arkwright, 81 was
afraid of trade unions. On one oc-
casion, the Mayor of this city said
that if one of my employees dared to
walk through the Union Station he
would lose his job.
81 was determined not to have any
thing to do with labor unions. l firm
IL, halia,,aJ fhair rh;a.f {o
create dissension between employer
and employe.
"Then, about twenty years ago, /
began to wake up"
The Education of an Industrialist
81 discovered" Mr.. Arkwright con-
tinued, "that union leaders did not
| have horns or carry tail. | got to
talking with them and l learned they
didn't want to make trouble for me.
They wanted to help me make the
business grow. They knew that there
wasn't any sense in talking about col
lective bargaining if there was moth
ing in the pot to bargain over.
"Now our employees know they are
free to join any union they see fit.
encourage them to do it. 1t at least
one instance they are organized 100
per cent.
"We negotiate wages, hours and
working conditions. We negotiate un-
| til all of us are satisfied and then we
put it into the form Of an agreement
and we all abide by that agreement.
81 don't know very much about the
philosophy or the history of the labor
movement, but | know from experience
that unions are good thing for the
workers and that they are also good
thing for the employer.
$50 l am happy to be here today
and glad to have chance to express
my respect for and faith in the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor and its lead
ers, including its distinguished Presi-
dent, Mr.. Green"
No more handsome a tribute ever
was paid to organized labor than this
voluntary, appreciative statement by
speaks.
This industrial leader who has been
educated to accept and welcome trade
unionism, made a profound impression
on his fellow business men who heard
him and received a grateful cheer
from the labor leaders present.
LabOr's Response
The response Of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor to Mr.. Arkwright's S
friendly and helpful gesture was con-
tanned in President Green's radio ad-
dress from Atlanta. His words were
so universally applicable that we beg
leave to quote few excerpts here:
'The American Federation of Labor
and its five million members earnestly
and sincerely believe there is no fun
damental conflict of interest between
workers and management. On the con-
trary we believe workers and man.
agement have strong bond of COM
mon interest. The welfare of both de-
pends upon the same thing-a healthy
growing, prospering American indus
try. We believe that once this truth
is universally recognized and accept
ed by American employers as we'll as
American labor the problems of labor
employer relations will be solved.
"This is no chimerical dream. We
are slowly but steadily making it
reality in many industries. Other
countries are far ahead of US in this
respect.
"The American Federation of Labor
appeals to the management of indus
try in the South not to resist or i'm
pede the organization of Southern
workers. Not only the law, but plain
common-sense forbids such tactics.
Our aims and our purposes are peace
full and constructive. All we ask is
a chance to prove it.
"The American Federation believes
in the institution of private property.
We recognize the rights of those who
own and manage property in a free
country. We have never engaged in
sit-doWn strikes, stay-in strikes, slow
down strikes or other revolutionary
techniques. We freely concede the
right of capital to a fair return on in
veStments.