ORGANIZATION OF EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES 1 63 



manual laborer, he identifies himself with a certain class, and the more 

 that class exerts itself so as to make its influence felt, the more the 

 stratification of society tends to become clearly defined. As class lines 

 become more definite the more difficult it becomes for one to escape 

 from the class in which he is to the higher class where each one desires 

 to be. The strife between the two groups in the case we have been 

 discussing is a cause that is operating to make our society like that in 

 European countries and separate it more and more into classes. There 

 seems to be little escape from this at the present time. 



INDIVIDUALISM GIVING WAY TO ORGANIZATION 



When all employers are organized into one association and the rules 

 prescribed by which they shall carry on their business, on what terms 

 they shall hire and discharge their men, what shall be the hours of work, 

 what material they shall use and of whom they shall buy it, what prices 

 they shall charge and for whom they shall work, there is almost if not 

 quite an entire loss of that peculiar mark v of personality which has often 

 been expressed by the owner and proprietor when conducting his busi- 

 ness. 



In many ways it is possible for a man to express his individuality in the 

 management of industry. This possibility is tending to disappear. The 

 more closely the business interests of the community are organized, the 

 smaller is the chance of expressing any individual idea, especially if the 

 idea is a little out of the usual fine. All business must then be carried on 

 according to set rules. The chance for originality in the treatment of 

 employees, for experimenting with shorter hours, or fixing a different 

 rate of wages, or putting into operation the original and ingenious ideas 

 of individual employers, such as has been characteristic of industrial 

 methods in the past, will be greatly curtailed. 



Under the new system, when all employers are thoroughly organized, 

 the method of conducting industrial affairs will be similar to the methods 

 by which ordinary corporate business is now carried on. In the corpo- 

 rate industries the owners or stockholders are far removed from the scene 

 of the actual business. Their responsibility is at a minimum. There 

 is none of their individuality in the conduct of the business, or at most 



