Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1919 — What Is to Be the Attitude Toward Labor of Leaders of Industry? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

What Is to Be the Attitude Toward Labor of Leaders of Industry?

By JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER. Jr.

As the leaders of industry face this period of reconstruction, what will their attitude be? Will it be that of the “standpatters” who take no account of the extraordinary changes which have taken place in the minds oUmen, who say," “What has been and is must continu’e to be. 'With but backs to’the wall we will fight it out along the same lines or go down with the Shipwho attempt stubbornly to* resist the inevitable and, arming themselves to the teeth, invite open, warfare with the other parties in industry, the certain outcome of which will be financial loss, inconvenience

and suffering to all, the development of bitterness and hatred, and in. the end the bringing about through legislation, if not by force, of conditions far more drastic and radical than could now be amicably arrived at through mutual concession in friendly conference? . (Ts-will it~be—an— attitude, in which I myself profoundly believe, which takes cognizance of the inherent right and justice of the principles underlying the new order, which recognizes that mighty changes are inevitable,, many of them desirable* which, not waiting until forced to adopt new- methods, takes the lead in calling together the parties in interest for a round-table conference to be held in a spirit of justice, fair play and brotherhood with a view to working out some plan of co-operation which will insure to all those concerned adequate representation, an opportunity to earn a fair wage under (proper working and living conditions, with such restrictions as to hours as shall leave timq not alone for food and sleep but also for recreation and the development of the higher things of life?