Evening star., 1940-02-09
Catholics Urge Trade
Guilds as Step 10 End
U. 5. Class Conflicts
Masters and Craftsmen,
United in Groups, Urged
By Is High Churchmen
By the ,iated Press.


By l6 High Churchmen
By the ,iated Press.
Out of the midle ages-when mas
ter and craftsman Joined together
in guilds to govern their trades
is archbishops and bishops OF the
Catholic Church in America drew
today a plan "to abolish conflict
between classes with divergent in
terests."
Declaring that imam is not an
Isolated individual living in a social
vacuum" they proposed re-estab-
lishment of some form OF guild or
vocational groups which will bind
men together in society according
to their respective occupations,
thus creating moral unity"
This, they said, is the ultimate
remedy for "the class conflict which
makes of the labor market an arena
where the two armies are engaged
in combat"
But with this economic remedy,
the prelates emphasized, must come
'the remedy in the spiritual Or
der"-"a frank and sincere return
to the teaching of the gospel"
Such a reform of morals is nee
essary, they declared, to combat "a
disordered affection OF the SOUL hav-
ing it's source in original sin but
aggravated by the present unhappy
social conditions.
"ThiS leads to an unQuenchable
thirst for riches and temporal poses
sions, and there develops
fever of speculation unrestrained by
any scruple in committing the
gravest injustices against Others"
The statement on "the church
and social order" was described by
some Catholics as lone of the most
important utterances made by the
Catholic hierarchy of the United
States since the bishops program Of
reconstruction of 1919"
It was issued by archbiShopS and
bishops who form the administrative
board of the National Catholic We'll
fare Conference, clearing house for
"Catholic action" groups.
1--WE must bring God back into
government they declared, 80
We must bring God back indeed into
all life, private and public, individual
and social"
The prelates listed five questions
around which most controversy
centers today-ownership, property
and labor security. wages. establish
ment of social order-and presented
"Catholic doctrine regulating these
matters" following the exposition
given by Pope Plus XI in his cele-
brated encyclicals:
Here is the gist of their discus
sions:
Ownership:
The church has always defended
the right to own private property.
But ownership has two-fold
aspect: One affecting the indi-
vidual, the other affecting society.
Two great dangers face society:
The concentration of ownership and
control of wealth, and its anony-
nous character resulting from some
business and corporation law.
Therefore. the civil authority must
regulate the responsibility of prop
erty so that the burden of provid-
ing for the common good is equitably
distributed.
1t must establish conditions so
: that each individual may surely and
justly come into possession of ma
terlal goods necessary to his own
livelihood.
Industrial Concentration Cited.
Property and labor:
Machine industry has developed
an intensilcation of the individ-
ualstic spirit, creating new prob
lens for labor. 1t is freely ad-
mitted that modern industry re-
quires considerable concentration of
capital, but it is not admitted that
concentration of ownership and
control is necessary or beneficial.
In too many instances an undue
portion of the income has been
claimed by those who own or con-
troll capital, while those who labor
have been forced to accept unrea-
sonable working conditions and un-
fair wages
Labor can have no effective voice
as long as it is unorganized. 1t
must be free to bargain collectively
through its chosen representatives
The idea that a laborer should
be paid only enough to keep him
efficient and reproducing his kind
is vicious.
New developments in the organi-
Eation of labor make it necessary
to point out that the principle of
force and. domination is equally
wrong If exercised by labor under
conditions of monopoly control. The
most immediate problem in labor
relations is "the abuse of power
which not infrequently results in
violence, riot of disorder" Both
employers and employees have been
guilty sometimes.
Wealth should be distributed in
such a way that "the good of the
whole community" is safeguarded.
Property Basis of Security.
Security:
Private property is not we'll dis
tributed at present among the men,
bers of human society. Social sta
bility rests upon the basis of indi-
vidual ownership of property. There
should be more of it and not less of
1t, if our existing economic system is
to remain secure.
Our country possesses adequate
resources to provide both a high
standard of living and comprehen-
sive security for all classes of society.
Workingmen should be made secure
against unemployment, sickness,
accident, old age and death. The
first line of defense against these
hazards is possession of private
=. nrnnerty Wares should nrovide