Newspapers / The Charlotte Herald (Charlotte, … / July 13, 1923, edition 1 / Page 6
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Religion s Ideal Best Evidenced In Labor’s Battle For Human Rights ' J >■' . Lake Junaluska, N/ C., July 6.-i-| Major George L. Berry, former Na- j jtional Vice Comander of the AmeH-} can Legion and President of the In-1 ternational Printing Pressmen and i Assistants’ Uiiion of North America, the founder of. Pressmen’s Home Tennessee, where the organization of which he is president, operates a Tu berculosis Sanatorium, a home for aged and incapacitated members and the world’s largest Technical Trade School engaged in the study and pro motion of printing, in an address1 be fore the Third Annual Social Service Conference, conducted Jby the Com mission on Temperance and Social Service of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and the Federal Coun cil of the Churches of Christ in Amer ica, upon the subject ‘‘The Impor tance and Aims of Trades-unionism and the program of the American; Legion in its campaign to Eliminate Illiteracy,” said in part: “Because of the absolute depend ence of life and its development upon industry it follows that industry ,is fundamental. ^ ' “Economic development is by the very, nature of things, controversial. Jt is representative of a competitive relationship unescapable for the reason that standards of livelihood are very largely predicated upon eco nomic advantages, and since custom has elected—if riot the ‘little man’ selfishness—that self shall be the first rule of conduct trades-uniomsm be comes as thoroughly important as is industry itself." “An illustration of the value ot trades-unionism in its abridgement of greed and its effort to promote eco nomic justice can be very amply ap plied to the Bible and to the church. ' “The Bible represents the greatest philosophy and the most far-reaching printed instrumentality for good that has ever existed, but the Biblie is not responsible for the growth, of the past and will not be responsible for the growth of Christianity in the fu ture. Christianity has advanced and will continue to advance, in my judg ment, because of the existence of the church, ever acitve in the advance ment of religious doctrine as given us through the Bible—the authorita tive and responsible source in this development. ■ “The trades-union movement and its collective influences gives life, by intercourse of men- and women en gaged in the various industrial pur suits, 'to the mbst effective antidote to. industrial selfisfipess, even among employes, that has yef been conceived by the humanjnind. The elimination of trades-unionism, from this point of view alone, would be a calamity to the human family that would involve the permanency and stability of near ly every civilized institution. “It might be said in connection with this declaration that the small percentage of organized men and wo* men of America as by comparison | with the great number of operatives, that it is paradoxical, but on a more intimate study of this question we will find that ofttimes a tendency by one person attracts the unconscious or the conscious acceptance and du plication of that tendency. The truth of the matter is that there has rare ly ever been a great economic accom plishment by trades-unionism that -has not instantly caused mental and phy sical readjustmentsVby and in behalf of those who were «ot in fact asso ciated with the trades-union move ment. r “The example that I 'have given might be subject to further inquiry as to the effect of a united trades union movement in America, that is to say, if trades-unionism, as now constructed with the small percent age of active participants, has proven to be good for sobial development for the employes themselves then would it not be better if the employes were organized in their respective trade unions to a one hundred per cent po sition.- My answer to such an inquiry would be that in my judgment a hun dred per cent*tredes-unioB in any in dustry has proven to be proportion ately better for employes than a nine ty, eighty or seventy per cdnt organ ization; and it might be observed at this1 point that wherever a one hun dred per cent trades-union has been established there has likewise come into operation a one hundred per cent employers’ organization and the re sult in most instances, if not in all, has been the development of a rela tionship, as it effects the industry and its possibilities, that has not. only proven to be good for the employes and the employers but for the com munity as a whole. “American trades-unionism, by the very manner in which it is organized, gives recognition to human concept and intuition. Th^ American trades union movement is organized upon trade lines. It is ppposed to the im possible theory of ’’one big union,” which if effectively developed would mean one big mob, or scientifically Termed sovietism. “American trades-unionism has recognized and has fought unceas ingly for the conservation of the spirit of initiative, pioneership and the necessity of the race in the develop ment of humanity and all of the things attendant to human existence; and it should be said at this point that the most persistent and consist ant opponents that trades-unionism has had in conserving this great American tradition and religious doc trine has emanated from a small but powerful group of employers who were thus, consciously or unconsci ously as the case may be, assisting in° the furtherance of the “one big union” commonly called the mob and scientifically referred to as sovietism. “The American trade-unionists are committed to the proposition and to the belief that the reason that God FREE FAN STAND To The First Twenty-Four Customers making purchase of 10”—12” or 16” Desk Fan, w;e will give a fan stand free. These stands are finished in blemish oak and-are ^ just the right height to blow on dining room table or your couch or reclining chair. Sells regularly for $3.00. FANS /■ $9.00 *o $50.00 . '• ? ■ - . • i ’ - / * . _ • Sold On Easy Terms . “Service Follows the Appliance” Southern Public Jtilities Company PHONE 2700 gave to the human family an nude veloped world was to plaee the re sponsibility-f or its development of uni derstanding and appreciation, it be ing their judgment that if this was not the intention of God that then he would have given to the human race a perfected world in the begin ning* I mai say that it is the belief of a very, lOTge percentage of trade unionists of America that the world is just as fertile in possibilities of ac complishments today as it was in the initial period of hitman existence. By this very fundamental fact American trades-unionism cannot justly be as sociated with destructive or revolu tionary forces. ; _ “As a development of educational, social and religious activities among the working men and women of America, I venture the observation that there is no counterpart to the succsses attained in this direction. The broadening of social responsibili ties, the accentuation of the neqg and value of education and the further ance of Christianity cannot come to human beings in a form appreciated and understood exeept as the result of two things—your physical and mental ability to comprehend. Men tal and physical comprehension does not arise from an under-fed or under, clothed condition. The comforts and economic advantages gained as re sult of trades-unionism of Amreica gives to the churches of this coun try a field of operation unequalled in possibilities in any other country of the world. “It is doubtful if any other exist ing organization has registered its protest oftener or with greater em phasis than has the trades-union movement of America against illiter acy and the employment of children in industry. That this is true can best be exemplified in the fact that the public school system of America, the compulsory education system of America and the child labor agitation of our country originated in the councils of the American Federation of Labor; and all of these things to which I have made mention, and upon which posterity and the character of our future citizenship qoalt be cal culated, are genuine religion! doc trine and we should not be over-en thusiastic' Vsrith regard to these ac complishments because of oqr knowl edge that they are just and religious accomplishments, for as a matter of fact there have been and are in America a great many men who are opposed not only to our system of education, not only to our campaign for the elimination of children from the factories, the mines and the shops, but are likewise opposed to our pub lic school system and its compulsory requirements. It would not bo diffi cult for you to find men in Ameriea who pride themselves upon reference to their Americanism who will hold that education is bad for the Ameri can worker. “As to the aims and purpose of the trades-union movement as it ettects industry and the aspiration of the trades-union movement with regard to the employer, or managerial group of' industry, it would, of course, be difficult to draw a rule that would be exclusively applicable, I am com pelled, therefore, to declare for what I know to be a general principle and to hold that because of its general ap plication that it establishes a tend ency sufficiently secure to express the belief that it would be applied ex clusively if frankness and recognition of the-justice of trades-unionism was embraced by the employes and man agerial groups of America “In the first instance let me restate what., has already been covered, namely, that American trades-union ism has become a tradition of the workers, and that it is predicated upon the proposition of a clearly de fined recognition.,...Of, the need and value of leadership, initiative and the necessity of life; for constructive and progressive developments. “Such a tradition is the only hu manly conceived antidote to soviet ism. . “It has been well said that it re quires two or more persons to preci pitate and conduet a fight. That there have beeh struggles and that they are now in the process of opera tion is a generally accepted fact, but if we are to eliminate and make in operative industrial struggles, which are in fact wars, then we must ascer tain the source from which they come and place the responsibility as the result thereof. , . . 1 * “For sixteen years I have had the honor of being the president of the International Printing Pressmen and Assistants’ Union' of North America and have played some part-in the councils of the American Federation of Labor, and because of this great opportunity that has been giveii me by those of my trade I have had the chance of not only intimately facing industrial wars by participation* but of observing them as theyrinvolved other industries than that of the printing and newspaper business of America. “The greatest difficulty and the au thoritative source of precipitation of industrial struggles is founded upon the proposition of misunderstandings, due primarily to th* unwillingness upon the part of employer groups and employe groups, and chiefly the form er, to permit faets to be the governing influence prior to the actual declara tion of war. “It will be observed that I clearly ckargg that the employers are largely r | •' -v.. ' responsible. I do hot believe that a survey of the industrial - difficulties which have occurred. in , America would contravene that declaration, but it would place it in the category of a non-partisan conclusion. “It is my judgment, arrived at through the process of thousands of negotiation experiences as between trades-union and employers, that the most conservative and yet patient element of our citizenship in Amer ica are those associated with the trades-union movement. “It is my judgment that in ninety five per cent of ail of the industrial disputes occurring in America that the trades-unions involved would have gladly submitted to the arbitra tion of such disputes and for the de termination of them upon the basis of fact. “It has been said that the person who cries out in his announcement of a fire is not always free of the re sponsibility of it. The public mind has been tuned to the cry of a strike, when as a matter of fact it may not have the slightest relition to a strike. The great overwhelming majority of industrial difficulties in America arise from such processes as: First: The application of the lockout force of the employer, the closing down of his plant with the hope that by and through the starva tion process attending unemployment he will be able to make readjustments upon a theory an<^ without the neces sity of consultation with the employ es of his industry. Second: The employers arbitrarily executing an order providing for re ductions in wages and revision of working conditions without consulta tion or conference with the employes. Third: The employer refusing to arbitrate the differences with his em ployes, taking the ground quite often that there'is nothing to arbitrate and that if the employes are dissatisfied with their positions that they can quit. Fourth: The employer tentatively agreeing to arbitrate but declining to permit facts to apply and the neces sary investigations to be made to show as to whether or not the indus try can meet the edmands of the employes: “It is easy tmis to observe that the old and antiquated theory of holding that an employer is better qualified to determine the destinies of scores of men without consultation, advice or investigation as to their responsibili ties, is largely if not entirely respon sible for the industrial difficulties in America. “It follows that in the natural or der that there will be numerous oc casions where trades-unions make de mands upon the industry, while just ified from the employes point: of view based (upon actual every day economic experiences, that cannot at the same time be met because of some physical defect or limitation of industry. When the employer, there fore, merely takes the,postion that ’it can’t be done,’ by the simple declara tion and declines to prove its imprac ticability a conflict is inevitable. It is infinitely more justifiable to expect that minute facts with regard to the responsibility of industry to carry an economic raedjustment for scores of men, than it is for an employer, as an individual, to declare himself cap able of determining as to the charac ter of food, clothing, education and opportunity that his employes should enjoy. In this connection we are com pelled to inquire—why the existence of industry? It is my judgment that industry has but one /eason for ex istence and that is to give life and opportunity for the development of the human family. “Because of what we feel to be an unsound custom, to whcih I have made reference, industrial progress has been abridged due to disinterest in. the mutual obligations that em ployer and employe owe to each othre. The spirit of cooperation and co-ordination in the promotion of in dustry for the common good of all of the units associated therewith is abridged because of the lack of col lective contact that can only cdme as result of a relationship between or- j ganizations of employers and organ izations of employes, seeking to es tablish justice and to conserve the institution upon which they are de pendent and in which they are en gaged in perfecting. Moreover the mere mechanical relationship as be tween employer and employe makes impossible the harnessing of the joint mentalities and physical possibilities of the units necessary for real spc cess. “Wfe hear much with reference to lost motion in industry, to abuses and to lack of efficiency. I shall not at tempt to give my version of this phase of our industrial life fearful that it would be construed as partisan, but a survey, covering several months, made by one of America's leading eco nomists and set out in a report Issued to the public by him, establish ed as a fact that in one of the largest industries of America labor was charged with a fraction less than 24 per cent of the inefficiencies of that great4ndustry) as against 65 per cent managerial inefficienpes. It is my be lief that by a more generous recogni tion of each other’s responsibilities in industry, and with a greater willing ness to make known the intimacies of successes and adversities in the con duct of business to all of the units en gaged therein, that it would be qiiite posible for the brains of the employes to suggest remedies for the eradica tion of the shocking economic losses occurring from mnnagerial inefficien cies, In any event it would not be worse as the result of a trial of the process of better understanding. “The trade-unionists of America recognize and accept the principle of ownership of ■business; they accept the 'prihciplethat real’investments in industry should be compensated by adequate interest; they, accept the principle that managerial brains em bodied .in ownership or direction is entitled to generous compensation; they accept the principle thht pross perity should be taxed to meet indus trial adversity; they accept the prin ciple that depreciation is essential; they accept the principle that indus try should provide ample resources for depreciation; and those princi ples are American tradhs-union doc trine- This being true what reason able complaint against the permanen cy and the general application of trades-unionism to industry can he offered, except that there may be those Who because of the lack of bus iness capacity, or because oHheir de sire to hold that which fundamentally does not belong to them, take the at titude contrary to that which, to me at least, is morally and economically sound. “IJhe International Printing Press meh and Assistants’ Union of North America possibly enjoys a relation ship with the publishers of news papers and the commercial employing printers of America that has no counterpart in any other industry. We are engaged in no industrial con flicts, peace and industrial coopera tion generally exists, witness the re sult—the International Organization of Pressmen and Assistants main tains and conducts its own city which is named for the organization by the Republic of the United States, and at which city there is located the only Trade School dedicated to efficiency and craftsmanship and operated by a trades union in the world, maintain ed at the expense of the members of the organization. There is also maintained a great Sanatorium for Tuberculosis,, a home for incapaci tated and disabled Workers and as sociated with the organization pro gram is a pension system and a mor tuary benefit system that is respon sive to the wants of the employes of the pressrooms of America, which to ‘a very large extent relieves the in dustry of the burdens that could very properly be assigned to it. This is all as the result of a cooperative re lationship, founded upon the basis of understanding.” BEST N. C-MAP EVER PREPARED Merchant* and Farmer* Bank Are Giving Away Map* Of Uauauai Value. People who want the very best there is in a North Carolina map should call at the Merchants and Farmers Bank, where one will be cheerfully given to any who call for them. Some genius in the printing business prepared and printed the map, and it is undoubtedly the best ever presented to the citizenship of the state. The Merchants and Farm ers Bank has already given away one big supply, and is in receipt of a sec ond order. On Account of the lim ited number, it would be well for those desiring the maps to call at an early date for them. My. Wilkerson, president of the bank, is also a member of the state highway commission, and is one of the original good roads advocates. This map, showing as it does,, the highway system, the distances be tween all points in the state, and containing much other valuable in formation, is especially pleasing to Mr. Wilkerson, and he wants every one to have one of the maps. Men who are prominent ought to be particularly careful about their ex ample, because its influence is great. USED CARS Biggest Values in Town HUPMOBILES R-Touring (Demstr.) _-$525.60 Caih (Balance in 10 months,) R Coupe (Demstr.)-$935,10 Cash (Balance in 10 taonths.) Model R Roadster----$350.49 Cash (Balance in 10 months.) Model R Touring_____$372.30 Cash (Balance in 10 months.) OTHER MAKES ford Coupe___$178.20 Cush (Balance in 10 months.) Liberty Touring_$219.00 Cash (Balance in 10 months.) Podge Touring-—$109.40 Cush (Balance in 10 motiihs.) Studebaker Touring_$219.00 Cush (Balance in 10 Months.) , Maxwell Touring-.$109.40 Cush (Balance in 10 Months.) u r Tord Coupe_.-$219.00 Cush (Balance in 10 months.) Pudge Touring --$212.46 Cush (Balance in 10 months.) Essex Touring-$240.90 Cush (Balance in 10 months.) . . Milburn Electric_L .$219.00 Cush (Balance in 10 months.) Ford Touring --.$164.25 Cush (Balance in 10 months.) Don’t think of buying a used car elsewhere until you see our line. ' Charlotte Motor Car Co. SOI East Trade Street \ PHONE 961 To the Hopes, ideals and Aspirations of the Men, Women and Children of Labor — Touching Appeal Made by the Executive Council of the American Federa tion of Labor. “* Having regard for the need of keeping constantly before the masses of o»r people the highest ideals of opr labor movement and the requirement of our peo ple for the complete fullness of life in all things, the Executive > Council of the America* Federa tion of Labor declare as follows: The labofr movement of America demands for all of our people the ful} benefit of the life giving forces of our marvelous civilization through constantly increasing wages and im provement of wonting conditions and through a reasonable and proper re duction in the hours of work.; The labor movement of America demands for the wage earners and for all who serve usefully in any ca pacity, a sound and just economic basis for life andf freedom m the* fullest meaning of those terms, a The }abor movement of America has ever had high regard for the development of the ethical and the spiritual in life, realizing, the right of all humanity to partake freely of the great satisfaction that , comes to en rich-life as a result. ' I me tabor movement of our coun try, recognizing the fact that all freedom and all higher development of life, rest upon first providing as surrance of the essentials of exist ence, has first demanded economic justice as a basis for all other things. But the labor movement has al ways taught that the material is es sential to something higher, and that the inspiration of our movement has its i deepest springs in something above and beyond the material. The labor movement strives for economic improvement with unrelent ing zeal and fidelity because economic improvement is the first fundamental requisite; but it holds out to all man kind a flaming torch lighting the way to a greater fullness of life, to com plete) realization of the finer and nobler aspirations of the mind and soul. > The labor movement fixes as its goal nothing less than the complete richness of life, without limitation of anydcind, the attainment of the com plete human ideal, in all of its eco nomic, ethical and spiritual implica tions. Through the inspiration of our labor movement, the Sunday preced ing Labor Day, which is the first Mon day in September each year, has come ihto general national observance as Labor Sunday. On this day it is fitting to give thought to the aspira tions of Labor and to find in what way the soul of Labor may give thought and expression to its long ings. * - Because of the aims and aspira tions set forth, we hold it fitting that all churches draw close to their altars the soul of Labor on the coming Labor Sunday and that the men dji4 women of labor everywhere make special effort to cooperate with the churches and to secure the cooperd tion of the churches with them, iii order that there may be ia the churches everywhere on that day a great unison of expression in oehalf of a higher, nobler life for the mass es' of eur people; and in order that there, may be everywhere a consecra* tion to tljte cause of human better ment, particularly in those things that give flower and fruit to the grept ideals of our labor movement, the embodiment and the expression of the idealism of our people. M!ay Labor Sunday each year bring home to the masses of our people the great good that humanity may yet achieve, the lofty heights to which it may Iclimb, the inspiration and the enrichment to be found in the great American labor move ment which is the hope of the mil lions who toil. We ask also that Labor Day, the great holiday of the toiling masses, dedicated to them and to their cause, be ennobled and enriched by au ex pression of the same spirit, the same high idealism and purpose, the same uplifting, inspiring search for the fullness of life and the same deter mination to achieve triumph over all ills and wrongs through our great movement in . its ethical and spiritual aspeets, a» well as through its pure ly economic operations. Once only in the vast cycle of time, ? Shall I move 'mid these scenes so cherished; But the deeds that I do, or poor, or sublime, Shall standstill the world hath per ished. Shall stand, and faces I never shall And lives, that I cannot guess, ) Shall be faithful, or false, because <}f n?e— Shall curse the world, or bless. Attend to the duties and obey the laws of- the university. It requires neither brains nor courage to break the laws, and often comes of a desire to get cheap notoriety through cow ardice ior? vice. Thieves and burg lars break laws; true men keep them; they are made for good.—Pierrepont. My brethren, live nobly in these noble times. It matters little wheth er your activity be great or small. Everywhere there is a good, there is a bad. God save us from the bad. God help us to be good, and give us all the right to say humbly at the la$t , that which HSs Son, our Saviour, said, “I have glorified thee on the earth.*’ —Brooks.;. see, w ^WUINTU^ _ rORANG|^ ,-crusH, sBOTTLE/ DRINK ORANG& CRUSH LIME C.RUSI I LEMON CRUSH IN KRINKLY BOTTLES Orange Crush Bottling Co. - ||jf : SOLD E V E RYWHERE PRITCHARD PAINT CO. Successor* to Ezell-Pritchard Company Paint, Glass and Painters’ Supplies O 12 and 14 West Fifth Street Charlotte, N. C. A PAINT St ORE FOF| 35 YEARS Make Your Plans For'Painting Your Property Now k~ COME TO SEE US i OR PHONE 765
The Charlotte Herald (Charlotte, N.C.)
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July 13, 1923, edition 1
6
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