The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1946-01-04
LOOKING
AHEAD
y GEORGE S. BENSON
l presidrni--H arding Coiiege
4 Sedrrg. yArkansas
Pilot Plant

Higgins Industries, Inc, New Or
leans shipbuilders, shut down three
big plants and began early in No
vember to farm out" forty millior
dollars worth of postwar business
In a tilt between two powerful labo
unicns, Andrew J. Higgins cas-
himself in the role of bystander
His story was that Industrial die
pttes had made it practically in
possible for him to operate at {;
profit.
am not taking up cudgel fo
Higgins or either of the labor OF
ganizaiions. The squabble has nc
been settled yet and some new fac
tors may be introduced The detai
of the news that interests me mos
is Mr.. Higgins cffer to sell hi
plants to the unions. His propose
ton may have been seasoned will
irory. but l am perfectly serious. j
think it is a splendid idea.
All tie Essentials
Just think: here stand three mod
ern plants; rev ones. Trey shelte
acres Of desirable ground with wa
ter frontage. They have installed
power, transmission lines, assembly
equipment and tools. Such buildings
can be adapted conveniently to tae
manufacture of many different items
on volume production scale. Labor
is abundant and more workers are
arriving daily.
Working capital is no longer {
problem to working people. Tho
unions have fabulous wealth, moi
even nicked by taxation. Senator
Edward v. Robertson of Wyoming
recently named a dozen unions
whose treasures, he said, contained
more than 100 million dollars all told.
With men, money and machinery
the idea is feasible. One of these
idle plants might be kept busy sub
contracting Higgins untitled orders
Unions Big Chance
BY going in business on their own
account, unions have much to gain.
For example: Nearly all labor or
CARNATIONS uphold principles upon
which they disagree with orthodox
business executives. The details
include plant organization, retire
ment plans, vacations and medical
service besides wages and hours.
Who will argue that these plans do
not deserve to be tried experiment
ally?
Most industrial leaders of today
are self-made men. Many of them
skated on thin ice occasionally in
the early heats of their business
race. They had principles and they
had courage and they took chances.
Their venturesome spirits were sup
ported by faith in their principles.
Why should not some trade union
take over a desirable plant some
where and demonstrate it's theo-
ries?
History to be Made
Quite few labor leaders advo-
cate new economic principles. They
insist that their plans can not fail if
faithfully pursued. Now, for once
in a thousand years, come chances
to prove the value of these new
principles to an eager world. 1t
can be tried independent of conven-
tional sources of capital. Almost
any union has more cash reserve
now than most big corporations had
when they started.
If neither of the Gulf Coast plants
is suitable, one of the eight being Of
tered by the RFC at Chicago might
be better. Any place, where work
ing men develop new system bet.
ter than the old, will be hallowed
ground. Certainly America stands
at the crossroads industrially.
Every patriotic citizen hopes we
choose the right course. Will the
unions now stake their wealth on
their nriftcInleS9