Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-11-23 | Page 45 | Solving of Labor Problem Held of Vital Importance

Solving of Labor Problem Held of Vital Importance ulatiou. His production feeds the other , I J8 in u,e Pa'- The future is clouded. Rapid urbanization has wrecked his labor market. The advance n labor savins agricultural machinery has not kept pace with the urbanization movement. Those machines that have been developed are economically impossible. impos-sible. His only alternative Is to cut down his acreage, with a resulting decrease de-crease In production. Labor has forced the situation, but m the end labor will pay for it dearly. Editorial. Motor I - OO iittie attention has been given ; I to the thoughts and feelings In-I In-I herent in the worker. His posi-I posi-I X tion in an industry entitles him j to consideration. While some business institutions have recognized this I fact, there are too many that have not given the status of the worker sufficient j thought. The worker's status certainly j gives him a right to havo a voice in the conditions under which he works and to have some method within the organization organiza-tion which employs him. of transmitting his thoughts to the management. Recently a considerable number of plants instituted industrial plans to stave off impending strikes. The basis of these plans is industrial representation. A strike of considerable magnitude was quickly settled through the workings of one of these plans, as it enabled fhe ; management to get first-hand Information Informa-tion on the workers' grievances. A considerable number of these indus-I indus-I trial plans have been highly successful. Workers have been given a chance to meet their employers on . common grounds. The cooperation resulting between be-tween tho two bodies has had a desirable effect. The worker cannot be classed as a partner In an industrial enterprise, as he shares none of the losses, the rcspon-s.bilities rcspon-s.bilities and the risks Involved. He is only responsible indirectly. His position is best defined as a cooperator. Shortcomings and defects in plant management man-agement are responsible for the floating class of labor and the undulv large labor turnover In some plants. At present we are engaged in one great strike ana on the i erge of another whose economic effects will be far-reaching It Is a problem of whether we shall operate oper-ate our industries by collective bargaining bargain-ing or by recognizing Initiative and ability abil-ity in the individual worker. The latter Is self -justified. Tho former seems contrary con-trary to all natural laws. That a man who. by his individuality, can accomplish twice as much as one of his fellow workers work-ers and yet receive the same remunera- 1 tion for hit efforts, appears to be fun ! damentally v.rong in principle. Behind the scenes lies the farmer. He Is the basis of industrial success. He j constitutes oO per cent of our totafcpe-P-