and labor have been those of fear born of mistrust, that in the future, if industry is to serve humanity, they must become relations of trust inspired by faith. He further says that the difference between heathenism and Christianity is that the one is founded on fear, and the other on faith. This is worth remembering. It is fundamental. And the mutual faith will not be at all strengthened either by labor parties or by capitalistic parties, or by any parties with class as their basis. One other thought. Believing as I do that organized labor as a great conservative force should stand firmly today, I would not like to see it take a position which is more in line with the thinking of a generation ago than with that of the future. Let me say in closing that these views are not mine alone. Were they so I might hesitate to advance them. It was my pleasure to sit with Henry Endicott on many of his War Arbitrations, and thus to come into intimate contact with many leaders both of industry and of labor, and what I have tried to express is, as I have found it, the belief held in common by the wisest and most constructive, and let me say, the most successful men of both groups. The Community Relationships of an Industrial Plant By J. C. HECKMAN Consulting Engineer, Larkin Company, Buffalo, N. Y. WHILE HILE a general appreciation of the fact has been slow in reaching many industrial managers, it is scarcely open to argument that one of the greatest, if not the greatest, assets of any industry is a personnel of thoroughly contented employes. It is perhaps not quite so well appreciated even by the more progressive employer, how vitally the contentment of his employes is influenced by their environment outside of working hours. Much time and thought have very properly been devoted in recent years to improving working conditions in manufacturing plants. Not nearly so much attention has been given to the conditions surrounding the employe outside of the plant. An employe of a manufacturing plant, working eight hours a day and losing no time from sickness or other causes, spends approximately 27 per cent of his time in the factory; the other 72 per cent is spent outside. The manner in which this major portion of the employe's time is spent and the influences exerted upon him by his environment, are of overwhelming importance in determining the character of the employe and his value to the industry. The effect of the nature of a community upon the welfare of its industries, therefore, can scarcely be exaggerated. A manufacturer having his plant already built has no opportunity to select a community presenting the most favorable conditions for his employes. In order to get the best conditions, he is restricted to the slow and difficult process of influencing the progress of a community along desirable lines. The manufacturer, however, who is about to select a location for a new plant, has before him the opportunity of making a selection which will provide his employes with the best possible conditions under which to live. The opportunity is too valuable to be lightly dismissed. There are notable instances in which an industry has been located outside of an existing community and has created a new community adjacent to its plant. In some cases, economic manufacturing conditions compelled the location of the plant in an unsettled region, but in others such a location was deliberately chosen in order that the industry might create its own community and control its character. There is room for wide difference of opinion as to the wisdom of attempting to create a manufacturing plant, and, coincidently, an industrial community around it. There is room for still greater difference of opinion as to the wisdom, or lack of it, displayed in the developments of some of the communities already in existence. Such enterprises are only possible in connection with very large plants and under exceptional circumstances. As they are not possible for the average manufacturer, they are rather outside the scope of this discussion. The instances where an industry has deliberately elected to create a community in the interests of its employes illustrate the importance of community relationship in the eyes of some managers. In order to view broadly the entire subject of the relations between an industry and its surrounding community, it is necessary to review the elements in the community which materially affect or are affected by an industry located in its midst. As has already been pointed out, these influences are principally effective through the personnel of the industry and they will be first considered in this connection. THE HOME The most important factor in the life of an industrial worker is his home, and perhaps the greatest influence that a community can exercise on an industry lies in the opportunities which it offers to its personnel to provide themselves not only with comfortable and sanitary but also attractive and beautiful homes. Nothing so stimulates a man's self-respect as a home in which he can take pride. It is particularly desirable that this home be a detached or semi-detached house and that the premises include space for a small flower or vegetable garden. Such a garden is a great inducement to the tenant to occupy his leisure sanely and in a manner which conserves and builds up rather than dissipates his energies. The most stable and satisfactory workers to any industry are those who own their own homes. This fact has been so clearly evident that many industries provide plans under which their employes may acquire homes on easy terms. A very large percentage of the workers, of course, will not own homes and the growth of the home owning group will be slow, although it can by proper encouragement be made steady. The availability, character and prices of suitable rented homes will, therefore, be the major factor in the home supply situation. The home supply value of a community can be briefly summarized to be made up of the following factors: character and extent of residential districts and their relative location to the plant; transportation facilities between these districts and the plant; values of real estate and cost of building; supply of homes for rent and rent costs; building loan associations and other facilities for acquiring homes on easy payment plans; the public health record of the community. RECREATION Possibly the next important factor affecting the contentment of employes is the opportunities which the community offers for recreation. Of these facilities, public parks are, perhaps, the most far-reaching. Not only should there be a well organized system of public parks within easy transportation distance of all portions of the community, but the administration of these parks should energetically endeavor to make them serve the public in the broadest possible manner. There is a growing appreciation in this country of the possibilities to the public of properly administrated park systems, particularly along the lines of publicly directed games and athletics for the public in general. The ideal community would be one which is keeping well to the front in such movements. Included in the public park system, of course, should be the children's playgrounds, well distributed through the city and supervised by play directors, and public bathing beaches with bath houses when water-front facilities are available. In addition to the public parks, the presence and character of the privately managed amusement parks have an influence. If these are of the proper character, they are an asset. Too frequently, however, they must be classed on the other side of the ledger when considered in connection with the benefits which the employes obtain from patronizing them. A popular and well patronized baseball team is a most excellent thing for providing recreation and stimulating civic pride. In addition to the outdoor amusements, the question of theatres, moving-picture houses, etc., deserves more than passing attention. Many communities provide municipally owned auditoriums available for large public mass meetings, concerts, lectures, etc. These must be considered also as a distinct asset. EDUCATION Another important side of the community is the educational facilities which it offers. Nearly every worker of the desirable sort is anxious that his children shall receive better educational advantages than his parents had. Such people are vitally interested in public school systems, and the ability of the plant to obtain the best type of workmen is often greatly affected by the character of the public schools which the community can offer such workmen's children. These schools properly conducted become the training areas for the next generation of workers. American manufacturers are appreciating how woefully they have neglected their opportunities as well as their duties in this connection. In addition to the regular public day schools, the question of night schools and continuation schools for younger employes who are already at work and the schools for teaching English and American ideals to foreign employes should also be considered. Public libraries, public museums of art and natural history, free educational lectures and concerts are also important as offering facilities for ambitious employes to continue and improve their education. ADEQUATE PUBLIC SERVICE The character of what may be broadly included in the term "Public Utilities" has tremendous influence affecting the contentment of the employes. We are hearing much these days on the subject of such public utilities, as street car service, electric light and power, telephones, gas and water service. The effect of all of these on the lives of every dweller in the community is felt daily and it is important that these utilities in the community should render good service at reasonable prices. In addition to these enterprises, we may include in the term, many other institutions which serve the public generally and add |