ADEQUATE REPRESENTATION OF EMPLOYEES Co
the plans because of a supposed parallel between employee representa-
tion and civil government. A further reason for certain of them is
to be found in the wave of antipathy toward everything “foreign”
and the enthusiasm for “100 per cent Americanism” so widespread
during and shortly after the World War.
While there is undoubtedly good ground for certain of these re-
strictions as respects eligibility of representatives, particularly those
relating to length of service and ability to speak, read and write
English, it seems doubtful whether there is need for such restrictions
with reference to voters. The analogous requirements for voters at
civil elections were intreduced to prevent the fraudulent practice
which had developed particularly in large cities with the growth of
corrupt political machines, of “stuffing the ballot box” by voting
“ringers,” brought into a district from outside at election time and
having no interests in common with the residents of the district.
Certain credentials were therefore required, to indicate that the voter
actually lived in the district and had lived there for a time long enough
to make it likely that he had not moved there for the sole purpose of
voting. In the factory, however, there is little reason to suppose that
anyone would seek employment, or, at least, that a significantly
large number of persons would obtain employment just prior to an
election, their motive being simply to influence the result. It is
conceivable, of course, that where there was bitter feeling between a
plant management and a local union, the latter might endeavor to
have its members employed in order to manipulate the election for
employee representatives with the hope of ultimately controlling or
discrediting the plan. We have heard of only one such instance,
however, and the danger would seem in most situations to be rather
remote. In any event, every employee, by virtue of his employ-
ment, has an interest in the choice of representatives, and it is im-
portant to the management that the sentiment of relatively new
employees should be properly represented at the council table.
It may be argued that a probationary period during which new
employees are ineligible to vote is desirable in order to give them an
opportunity to become acquainted with their fellow employees so
that they may vote more intelligently. Inasmuch as elections are
held under most plans not oftener than annually, and since a new
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