CONTENTS EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE. Remarks by President Boynton. PAGE 165-264 166, 170, 176, 185 Charles M. Belshaw Report for Section on Industrial Relations, J. P. Rettenmayer. Statement for the Employer, Miner Chipman.. Statement for the Employee, H. Ryan.... Statement for the Public, Frederick Whitton C. C. Boynton John Henderson E. R. Zion F. J. Koster APPENDIX-DEMANDS OF ORGANIZED LABOR, Miner Chipman 166 171 177 186 188 189 189, 198 191 192 193, 199 196 198 199 and James D. Adams. .202-253 EDWARD F. ADAMS, T. D. BOARDMAN, FRANK P. DEERING, BEVERLY L. HODGHEAD, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE T. D. BOARDMAN, Chairman FRANK P. DEERING, BEVERLY L. HODGHEAD, J. M. KEPNER, GRANT H. SMITH The President and Vice-President are ex-officio members of all committees. Communications should be addressed to the Secretary, Room 402, 153 Kearny Street, San Francisco. Following the report of the Section on Industrial Relations delivered at the Club Meeting of December 12, 1917 (see Transactions Vol. XII, No. 11) no new investigations were undertaken until the close of the war. The new developments in the labor movements throughout the world then called for further discussion of the relations between the employer and employee, and the Section on Industrial Relations was reorganized with the following membership: J. P. Rettenmayer, Chairman; Geo. H. Eberhard, Vice-Chairman; A. W. Brouillet, Miner Chipman, Chas. M. Elliot (Capt.), H. B. Graham (Dr.), R. S. Gray, C. E. Grosjean, Norman Lombard, Russell Lowry, Herman A. Mattern, F. K. McFarlan, Constant Meese, J. W. Mullen, M. S. Nickelsburg, Grant H. Smith, Frederick Whitton, E. W. Wilson, E. R. Zion. The Section held many meetings and collected a considerable amount of material, but was not able to agree on any recommendations. It was therefore requested to present a preliminary report at the Club Meeting of May 15, 1919, to afford an opportunity for general discussion. The programme of the meeting was arranged as follows: General Statement of the Work of the Section on Industrial Relations, by Chairman Rettenmayer. Question "Can there be a Common Platform between Employer and Employee?" Statement for the Employer-Miner Chipman. Statement for the Employee-Harry Ryan. After the presentation of these statements an hour was left for general discussion, in which the following members and guests spoke: R. S. Gray, C. C. Boynton, John Henderson, Roy R. Waterbury, W. V. Stafford, James W. Mullen, E. R. Zion, C. M. Belshaw, Frederick J. Koster. The subject was then referred back to the Section for further investigation. Meeting of May 15, 1919 The Club Meeting of May 15, 1919, was held at the Hotel St. Francis. After the recess following the business meeting, President Albert E. Boynton called the meeting to order as follows: Remarks by President Boynton THE PRESIDENT: Some months ago the Section on Industrial Relations was reorganized, with Mr. J. P. Rettenmayer as chairman. The Section is making what may be termed a preliminary report this evening, the topic for discussion being "The conflict between employer and employee can there be a common platform between them?" We are fortunate in having present those who hold diverse views on the subject, and the general discussion following the presentation of the report should be of value. The statement will be presented by the chairman of the Section, Mr. J. P. Rettenmayer. Report for Section on Industrial Relations MR. RETTENMAYER: In the early part of March of the present year, the Section on Industrial Relations was reorganized. Conscious of the seriousness of the industrial situation, which was accepted to be nation and world wide, the section began its work with a clear understanding of the purpose, that the theories and plans it may develop must be transformable to the practical, applicable to the betterment of our industrial life. It was in unanimous agreement that analysis and study of the industrial conditions were to be made with unprejudiced minds, and that the data and statistics that were to be gathered were not for the purpose of proving anything in particular, should not constitute a brief for any one side, but should serve as a guide in the formulation of plans for the future, in the drawing of conclusions based on facts. The vice-chairman of the section, Mr. Geo. H. Eberhard, presented a draft of a working plan at the first meeting, dealing with the labor problem in Great Britain France Italy Japan and The United States. This tentative programme called for information as to the Number of organized and unorganized workers of the industrial group. The number of large and small farm owners. Value of manufactured products in 1913. Value of quantity of output per man in each of these industries. Increase in wage and cost of living 1918 compared with 1913. Demands of organized labor-economic, political and social. Ten subjects for study, ranging from housing problems to control of industry. Information as to how organized labor expects to obtain its demands its plans and methods. The farmers', employers' and capitalists' attitude towards the demands of labor. The major portion of this information, covering the United States, and with some reference to the conditions in other countries, especially Great Britain, was furnished by the Babson Statistical Organization. Under the direction of Mr. Miner Chipman, a volume of information was tabulated, indicating the tendency of organized labor's demands, covering a period of twenty-five years. The local situation was studied by two sub-committees under the chairmanships of Messrs. Zion and McFarlan with reference to the cost of living and wages. The material in the hands of the section will be examined by the sub-committee and a synopsis presented to the section and then referred to the Executive Committee of the Club. Another sub-committee under the chairmanship of Mr. Geo. H. Eberhard presented to the section the following subjects to be considered for papers to be given at meetings of the Club: 1. What should be the common platform of employer and employee? 2. Do employer and employee agree that the present social order of the United States should be maintained? 3. What should be the regulations, if any, of the freedom of speech? 4. Is the trade union movement undergoing a reorganization? If so, along what lines? 5. The future legal status of the industrial agreement. 6. Relations of law enforcement and respect for law to stability in our industrial relations. 7. Aspects of the wage and cost of living problem in San Francisco. Realizing the gravity of the industrial conditions, the Executive Committee of the Club desired a Club meeting at the earliest possible time. The members of the section, on the other hand, also fully conscious of the seriousness and depth of the problem, wanted more time in order that the section may present a report which would be of real practical value. The meeting this evening will therefore be introductory of this great, important subject. It will afford an opportunity for the members of the section to hear the views of the members of the Club, enlightening statements from labor leaders, as well as the opinions of large and small employers of labor. A number of representatives of labor organizations and employers' associations, who are not members of the Club, were invited to be present this evening. In the course of its study, the section will concern itself with causes rather than dealing with effects, taking into full account the fact that the industrial problem treats with the human element. From an understanding of the various human instincts, we shall work along lines of reason and logic to conclusions which will show the way to better relations and conditions. The friendly and family-like relations which existed between employer and employee prior to the introduction of machine production and large unit operation diminished from year to year, until they were finally lost. Labor-saving machinery intensified the struggle. Distrust and antagonism smothered confidence, faith and belief in any good intentions of the employer, and discontent on the part of the worker served as material for the agitator. The misconception and lack of interest on the part of the worker of industrial activity, his tendency to resort to force and destruction to gain his end, economic ignorance on the part of the employer, the assumption of the position as master, his unwillingness to listen to complaints of the worker and to consider him a partner in industry, the tendency to monopolize for capital all the advantages and benefits which came to business through favorable conditions rather than efforts on his part, and the supervision of the worker's activities by persons unqualified in the human sense, are some of the factors responsible for the present situation. The occasional increase in wages for the organized worker has failed to bring relief, because it was closely followed by an increase of commodity prices, which cancelled the advantage, while it created a decidedly worse situation for those whose wages or capital returns did not follow the increase. Part of our hope lies in increased production. One of the problems is to educate the people away from the exclusive attention to wages and prices and bring home to them these facts: |