The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-10-23
. COMMENT ON WORLD
EVENTS

fense production and for coping with
employment and many other prob
lens arising out of the defense pro-
gram, is now much in the news. Or
ganized labor and employers and gov
ernment officials have varying views
| on the subject, which is a matter of
lively discussion and controversy.
A current International Labor Of
flee study entitled wartime Develop
ments in Government-E m p o y e T.
Worker Collaborations" is therefore
most timely. The study, a supplement
to a previous one on the same sub
ject, was prepared by the staff of the
International Labor Office, as basis
for discussion by the Forthcoming In
ternational Labor Conference. To-
gether with a report on postwar re-
construction by Edward J. Phelan, the
lilo acting director, it constitutes the
agenda for the meeting, to be held at
Columbia University, New York City
beginning Oct. 27 and lasting about
10 days. This conference will attract
as delegates employer, labor, and
governmental leaders from all the
democratic countries of the world.
X X +
The study on collaboration notes
the grave issues facing present-day
democracies and states: "On the sue
cessful development of collaboration
between the organized representatives
of the employers and workers among
themselves and with the institutions
Of the modern state depends in very
large measure the future of democ-
racy. 1t is, indeed, an extension of
the application of democratic prin-
ciples and methods from the political
into the social and economic life of
nations which is vital condition of
the continued existence of political
democracy.
"No democratic state, however firm
ly rooted it's democratic institutions,
is exempt from the dangers of social
and economic strife, particularly in
the present emergency, which sub
jects the whole national structure to
such immense strains. The develop
ment of collaboration is therefore an
indispensable condition of the con-
tinued existence of the democratic
way of life"
The original study, to which the
present report is supplement, is en-
titled "Methods of Collaboration Be-
tween the Public Authorities, Work
ers' Organizations, and Employers
Organizations" 1t was prepared for
the 1910 International Labor Confer
ence, which because of world condi-
tions could not meet in that year. The
original report discussed the funda
mentals of collaboration, considering
the relation of industrial organiza-
tions to the state and the develop
ment of collaboration between state
authorities and workers and employ
ers' associations in the fields of social
legislation, conditions of employment,
and economic problems. The present
supplement brings the original report
up to date, presenting a summary of
the available facts on the most recent
wartime developments in the field of
collaboration.
The term collaboration" as defined
in the study means the "free, conf
dent, and organized cooperation Of
employers and workers with each
other and with the public authorities
for the determination of conditions of
employment, the framing and appli-
cation of industrial and social legis-
lation, the prevention and settlement
of industrial disputes, and the formu-
lation and application of social and
economic policies, both generally and
in relation to particular industries
and particular problems" In brief, it
means democratic cooperation.
X 4 X
The experience of many of the
democratic countries, including the
United States and Great Britain, was
analyzed in the preparation of the
study. The International Labor Con-
ference, at which the report will be
discussed, is itself a successful, living
example of employer worker govern
ment collaboration in the social and
economic spheres.